


When I'm Oceans Away

by neapeaikea



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Foster Care, Getting Back Together, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 09:10:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20905187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neapeaikea/pseuds/neapeaikea
Summary: While searching for an alien child, Michael runs into Alex, ten years after Alex ran away from Roswell and broke Michael's heart.





	When I'm Oceans Away

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo whee this was a ride! It started with an idea of Alex with a foster kid and then... things happened. It's all canon compliant through season 1, except for Alex not being in Roswell. How and why he ran away, and the effect that had on the canon story is hopefully explained in the fic. I know very little of the foster system and California CPS, but I hope it reads as somewhat realistic. Sidenote, I started watching _Animal Kingdom_ while working on this and flipped when I realised it's set in Oceanside, and has the CPS in a storyline! _AK_ kept flipping between calling it CPS and CFS so I stuck with CPS... Sorry to anyone who knows I'm wrong. Also sorry to the geography of LA and realistic travel times and living costs. It's fic people! Feedback is lovingly drooled on!
> 
> Expanded warning: I decided to use "no archive warnings" as none of them fit. However, much of this centers around the foster care system, and the negative experiences the characters have had of it. The story also refers explicitly to the beatings that a parent puts his child through in canon. If that's not your thing, you might wanna skip this one.

The last thing Michael expected to see when he walked into the common room of the Santa Monica Youth Home was Alex Manes letting a young boy treat him like a jungle gym. He hadn’t seen Alex in roughly ten years, but it was undeniably him. His hair was shorter, brown instead of dyed black. He wasn’t wearing makeup but his eyes lit up anyway from playing with the kids, and he had black rings on two of his fingers. Michael looked down at his own left hand and wondered if Alex even remembered which of Michael’s hands it was that his father had taken a hammer to. 

“Guerin? Michael Guerin?”

Michael’s eyes snapped over at Alex, who looked shell-shocked, eyes wide and mouth open. 

“Hi, Alex.” Michael waved awkwardly. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Yeah, uh,” Alex shook himself out of his stupor, “that’s… wow.” He looked around, but the kids were all too busy playing with each other, bored with Alex now that he wasn’t paying them attention. “Why don’t we go into my office?”

Michael followed Alex’s lead, ending up in a short corridor off to the side of the main room. Alex took him to a small office the size of a cubicle. It was cluttered with files and papers with government stamps on them, and the bookshelf was teeming with books and pamphlets about child therapy and behavioral studies. 

“Here, uh, let me make some room.” Alex moved two dirty coffee mugs from the desk to the windowsill, where they were an addition to an already impressive mug collection.

Michael watched as Alex moved a large binder from a foldup chair and put the chair in front of the desk. It was surreal, being in the same room as the first, and only, person he’d ever let himself fall in love with. They hadn’t been this close in a decade, and they were obviously completely different people than back then, but Michael still wanted to reach out and stop Alex’s nervous antics and just look at him. He wanted to know why he walked with a tiny limp, wanted to know if he still wore a nose ring, and he wanted to know where the hell he’d been for the last ten years.

“Please, sit.” Alex offered, holding his arm out. He looked between Michael and the chair, like he was scared Michael would somehow be offended by having to use a lousy foldup chair. If he only knew the standard of living Michael was used to. 

“Thanks.” Michael said, sitting down and smiling as Alex hurried to sit in his own beat-up desk chair. 

Alex looked at him for a moment, and Michael decided to not care, to let the other man see the imperfections that had come with time and a hard life, the hair that was just as unruly as it had been when he was a teenager and the clothes that he wore for function, not fashion. 

“Of all the gin joints in all the world...” Alex sighed, “How did you find me?”

Michael laughed, “Really? That’s what you think this is?”

“It isn’t?” Alex frowned. 

“No, this is just the stars aligning. Fuck, Alex, what the hell happened to you? Where the fuck did you go? I thought you enlisted but then your brother told Liz you’d run away. Do you have any idea how many people were worried about you?” Michael could feel himself getting agitated. “Do you have any idea how much I…”

His words finally seemed to break through Alex’s wall at that, Alex looking away. 

“I fucking… I wanted to see you so damn bad. If you ran away, why didn’t you take me with you?” Michael almost couldn’t believe he was putting himself out there like that, but he’d waited for ten years to ask that question and now that he had the chance he wasn’t going to waste a single moment. 

“Because I was protecting you!” Alex exploded, “I was going to get you killed! I had no life back there, no life, and I wasn’t going to let him take yours too!”

“The fuck are you talking about? Your dad?”

“Yes, my dad!” Alex slammed his hand on the desk, “That fucking asshole made my life a nightmare for years, and when I finally had something good going, when I finally let my guard down, he twisted that too.”

“You left me there with him!” Michael argued. 

“Did he ever touch you again?” Alex asked. 

“Not like that but–”

“See! I was right!” Alex slumped back in his chair, grabbing a pen to turn around and around with his fingers. 

Michael huffed too, mind spinning to the point where he was worried of losing control of his powers. He needed to calm down. Their old shit was not why he was here. He took in more details of Alex’s office, the curtains with birds on them, the map of California, the name plate on the desk. 

“Alex Moore?”

Alex chuckled, “Yeah… I changed my name.”

“What?”

“I changed my name, like, two years after I ran away. Didn’t want anything to do with my dad, certainly didn’t want his name. So I started using a different name, the fake ID I had already had a different name anyway. Made it harder for dad or anyone else to track me.”

That reminded Michael of why he was really there, and it was more important than his own past and the issues he’s stuck with because of it. He was there for someone else’s future. “Yeah, uh, I’m actually here to track someone. Not you. My brother.”

“Your brother?” Alex said in surprise, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Me neither, not ‘til a few weeks ago.” Michael said, remembering to keep the story free from too many details. “I met my mother, briefly, before she passed. She told me she had another son, she gave him up too. He should be about five years old, his dad took him out here and left him in foster care, that’s what we think anyway.”

“Foster care? Are there papers?” Alex jumped into action instantly, tapping on his laptop to bring it to life. “Five years?”

“Yeah. Max, you remember Max Evans? He made me a list of all the group homes and foster homes in California that accepted children from New Mexico between 2013 and 2015.” Michael handed over the folded piece of paper he had in his pocket.

Alex scanned the list, “The crossed over ones, you’ve already been to those?” When Michael nodded, Alex said, “Well, this isn’t really a group home as such, we do have beds that the CPS sometimes rent when they don’t have families for kids, but we’re more a shelter for kids on the streets.”

“What about all the little ones here today?”

“We have an open daycare a couple of days a week. We’re pretty all-round here. We don’t have anyone from New Mexico here now, but I know some of these places, I could call them for you.”

“That would be awesome, thank you.” Michael said. “If there’s even a shot I could help him, or just know that he’s better off than I was…”

“Yeah, I know.” Alex leveled a warm and understanding look at him. “Why do you think I work here? No one should have to deal with the crap that we did.”

Michael agreed with that. “Have you been here long?”

“Three years.” Alex said, back to tapping at his keyboard. “Finished my degree and was lucky enough to get a job here. We’re underpaid and understaffed, but when I look at the kids that come in here… I can’t let them down.”

Michael bit back a comment about Alex having let people down before, knowing he had to stay focused on the problem at hand. 

“Normally, each county has to take care of their own kids, and if there are no homes or shelters to take them in, they contact neighboring counties through a state liaison. Taking a minor across state lines is crime, you know?”

“But not if you’re the parent.” Michael pointed out. 

“Not normally, no. But there could be cases where the parents lived in another state temporarily, or the parents are from different states, and that’s why the birth state is not the one handling the case and the placement. Are you sure your brother was born in New Mexico?”

“Yeah,” Michael nodded, “and we know for a fact that he was taken to California about as soon as he was born, and was never brought back.”

“By the father?”

Michael hesitated. There was the story that they all had agreed upon, the aliens and their human friends. But Alex was someone that he had once trusted with his heart, and had wanted to trust with his secrets. Sometimes, in his daydreams, Michael would still imagine a world where he and Alex were together, and Alex knew about him being an alien and thought it was cool. But Alex had walked out on him all those years ago, had left Roswell without warning and never looked back. Michael had no reason to trust him. 

“We assume it’s the father.”

“You say ‘we’ a lot.” Alex noted.

“Yeah, uh, me and Max, and Isobel. And Liz, I guess. Kyle.”

Alex held up his hands, “Wait a minute, whoa, whoa. Kyle? Liz? Not Valenti and Ortecho? Are they still together? I thought Liz dumped his ass on prom night.”

Michael had to laugh, “Oh my god, you’ve missed so much. No, they’re not together. Liz is with Max now, or, well they’re trying to be, you know? Valenti is just… around.”

“Still an asshole?” Alex rubbed at his knuckle like he was remembering something.

“Oh yeah, absolutely. Not a homophobe, though.”

“Oh.” Alex looked down at his hand. “That’s good I guess. Oh!” He turned to his computer again, “So I ran some searches in the California CPS database to see if any adoptions of five year old boys from foster homes happened between those years you said, there were around fifty. Got anything that can narrow it down? Do you know where in Cali he was placed into care? Race? Birth defects or something like that?”

Since learning about the child two weeks ago, Michael had often wondered what he looked like. If he would have curly hair like Michael, be tall for his age, maybe shy or worried. Would he already know that he was different and that he had to hide his powers? Did he have powers at all or had they not evolved yet? 

“We know the father was in LA for two weeks right after the birth, so our working theory is that he left him here somewhere.” Michael said. “If he’s not adopted, he’s still in the system?”

“He should be. A kid that young most likely hasn’t run away yet. But too many of them disappear too easily.”

“I bet you know all about that.” Michael said before he could stop himself. 

Alex leaned forward, his elbows on the desk. He sighed, “I’m sorry.”

Michael met Alex’s gaze, and it struck him as hard and determined.

“I’m sorry I left without telling you.” Alex began. “It was never your fault. But I know now that I was scared that if I told you, you’d make me stay, or take you with me, and I didn’t have a plan for that. I had a plan for _me_, for disappearing from my dad. It wouldn’t have worked with you there.”

“You would have saved me a lot of hangovers if you’d just left me a note or something. I never would’ve told anyone, you know that.” Michael said. 

“I was seventeen! I was a kid! I was dumb and scared, and in love!”

“It sure didn’t seem like it! You threw me away like trash!” Michael realized he was standing when he saw Alex staring up at him, and at the hand his father had crushed with a hammer. 

“Your hand…” Alex trailed off.

“I had it fixed.” Michael sort of-lied. 

“Does it… Can you…” Alex swallowed, “Can you play guitar?”

Michael laughed, “I haven’t played guitar for a decade.”

“Oh.”

A knock on the door interrupted them, “Mr. Moore?”

“Yeah?”

A young girl opened the door a few inches, “Uhm, we’re getting ready to close up the daycare.”

“I’ll be right there.” Alex said. He turned to Michael. He sighed loudly, “Look, I can help you look for your brother if you want. I’ll be about an hour here, then I’ve got the weekend off. I can print out the list and come with you, I’m used to dealing with the CPS and I know a lot of the other homes and shelters, I’ll get answers you can’t. But if you don’t want me to tag along, that’s fine. I just hope you can respect my wish to not tell anyone you met me here.”

“Still scared of daddy?” Michael mocked.

Alex chuckled, “Something like that.”

Michael frowned, not knowing what that meant. If anyone should be scared of Jesse Manes, it was Michael. Jesse suspected him and the twins of being aliens, and the last year had been a frantic rush of keeping him from discovering the truth while dealing with Noah, who had taken a sadistic pleasure in leaving bread crumbs for Jesse to find. They were just lucky Kyle believed humanity was more important than the human race. Michael really hated owing Kyle shit, but such was life.

“So?” Alex asked, holding the door open.

Michael got up, took the two short steps that brought him closer to Alex than he’d been since that day in the shed when his whole world had shattered. “I want to find my brother. If you can help me do that, I’ll forgive everything.”

Alex didn’t smile, but there was still something contented yet sad over him. “You don’t have to do that. Just take care of him when you find him. Are you staying somewhere close, where do we meet tomorrow?”

“I’ll get a room somewhere.” 

“You don’t have one yet?” Alex bit his lip, “Uhm, if you don’t mind waiting, you could uh, sleep at mine. It’s not much but I got a fold-out and I make a mean spag bol.”

“Spag bol?”

“Spaghetti Bolognese. Roomed with an Englishman a couple of years back, taught me all sorts. Had to stop him from using ‘fag’ so much.” Alex laughed.

“What?” Michael frowned. Being around Alex was giving him mental whiplash. 

“I’ll tell you later. If you’re up for it. Free of charge.”

Michael grinned, “Free bed and I get dinner out of it? Best offer I’ve had all day.”

Alex smiled back, “Cool. I gotta say goodbye to the day crowd and put things away for the nightshift, shouldn’t be too long.”

“I’ll help.”

**

Michael ended up helping with putting sheets on the beds upstairs, searching nightstands for contraband and anything else that the night staff asked him to do. He didn’t see Alex for most of the hour, but got a better understanding of what they did at the youth home, and what kind of kids were their frequent customers. It was scary, hearing from the staff he was helping about the new girl that hadn’t been back for over a week, about the brother who had dragged his sister out of there kicking and screaming, and the things they would find in the nightstands. It made him think of his own childhood, and he wondered what these kids were running from. He wondered if Alex had stayed in places like this, if he’d run away from home only to sleep in halls with other teens that might steal what few possessions he had. 

He didn’t know what to make of Alex’s sudden reappearance in his life. Finding out Alex was okay, had a job and even a degree, made Michael both overjoyed and furious. He was so damn happy at seeing Alex again, to know that he was alive and well. Over the years he’d spent far too much time thinking about the one boy that had made his heart soar and his skin burn. But at the same time it hurt so fucking much to know that Alex had left Roswell and Michael of his own volition, that he had purposely left Michael alone and brokenhearted. 

He tried to focus on his supposed baby brother instead. That’s why he was here, that was more important than Alex Manes, no, Alex _Moore_. The cover story had been a group decision, that Michael was a distraught brother looking for his only known living relative. In reality, they had learned from Sheriff Valenti’s nonsensical notes and the medical files they’d gotten from Caulfield before it blew up that one of the female aliens had given birth to a baby boy around five years ago. There was no record of who the father was, but judging from how Valenti noted that he’d saved a baby boy from being an experiment for life, it was clear a normal life hadn’t been intended for the baby.

Kyle was the one that had informed them of the baby’s existence at a code red meeting two weeks back, and there had been a flurry of activity ever since. Max had launched searches in every police, state and government database he had access to, Isobel had talked to social case workers, Liz had gone through the Caulfield files and compared it to hospital records from around the county. Kyle continued going through his father’s increasingly nonsensical notebooks, but all they could conclusively prove was that Jim Valenti had attended a conference in LA for two weeks in 2014, around the time of the birth. It was why Michael was in California, visiting foster homes and shelters. 

At first they’d thought of sending Isobel, thinking a woman might get more answers, but she was still too shaken up about what had happened with Noah. All the others had jobs and lives that couldn’t be put on hold without people asking too many questions, whereas Michael’s boss paid him in cash for whatever hours Michael himself decided he’d work. He didn’t have any other friends or people that would react if he disappeared for weeks, and wasn’t it a kicker that his sad social life was what made him the chosen one?

“Guerin?” 

Michael looked over at Alex from where he was vacuuming under a bed. 

“You ready to go?” 

“Yeah, uhm…” Michael hesitated with the vacuum cleaner in his hands.

“Trish? I’mma steal my friend back.” Alex called out to one of the women who’d been gently ordering Michael around.

“Thanks for all your help, hon.” Trish said, “Just leave the vacuum cleaner there, yeah?”

“Happy to help, sweetheart.” Michael winked.

Alex rolled his eyes, which made Michael grin. As they descended the stairs, Alex muttered, “She’s fifty and married.”

“I can work with that.”

“Classy.” Alex said. 

Michael didn’t mind the comment, if anything he liked that they were sniping at each other. It was a form of communication he was well-versed in. He was kept from snarking back by Alex’s awkward stride down the steps. He thought he saw something glint in the gap between Alex’s shoe and the cuff of his jeans, but Alex telling him his place was a thirty minute drive distracted him from asking about it. 

Alex took his own car, and Michael followed him in his pickup for a few miles south, the two of them parking in front of a five story building a couple of blocks from the ocean. Michael got stuck looking towards the coast, he could almost see the water from where he was. 

“You ever been?” Alex asked, appearing at his side. When Michael looked at him, he nodded towards the beach. “At the ocean, I mean.”

Michael shook his head. 

“You wanna go?”

Michael took in how relaxed Alex seemed, different from his seventeen-year-old self not just in his appearance. He also seemed lighter, more at ease with himself. The limp didn’t seem to hold him back at all. He seemed almost happy, pleased with who he was. Michael looked away, ashamed at his own tiny progress over the last decade. The town drunk living in an Airstream, spending nights in jail when he was too stupid to stop himself from talking back to Wyatt Long. He’d accomplished nothing.

“Come on.” Alex put his hand on Michael’s elbow. “Let’s go see the ocean.”

The sun was setting, and most of the people seemed to be heading away from the beach. There were still some surfers out there, still some kids playing in the sand. Boats dotted the horizon. 

“I remember the first time I saw it.” Alex said when they stood on the pavement above the beach. “It was up north, near San Francisco. I felt like I’d reached the end of the world.”

Michael kicked off his boots and pulled off his socks. He stepped into the sand. He closed his eyes. For once, his mind quieted just a little. He felt the last rays of sunlight on his face, the gentle breeze caressing his cheek. Never in a million years did he think he’d watch the sunset on a Californian beach with Alex Manes at his side. He opened his eyes, and saw Alex regarding him with a hooded look. Michael smiled, “The end of the world has been good to you.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, “I guess it has.”

**

It was nearly a full hour later before they entered Alex’s second floor apartment. Michael had no hurry in leaving the beach, and Alex hadn’t mentioned any time constraints. It was at his suggestion that Michael had finally gone all the way down to the water and waded out. Once again the sounds in his head had fallen away, and once again, Alex had been watching him closely when Michael turned to him. 

The first thing he noticed in Alex’s apartment was an awfully large couch. The second thing were bannisters at random places around the walls and in the kitchen area. 

“So, not getting any sand in the apartment is hopeless, but we could be a little proactive and take our shoes off.” Alex said.

Michael bought the logic in that, and bent over to pull off his boots. When Alex didn’t follow suit, Michael looked up. “Uh, did I misunderstand?”

Alex sighed. “I need to sit down. On that chair.”

Michael glanced at the chair Alex indicated, not more than three steps away but Michael was blocking Alex’s path. “Okay.”

He assumed it had something to do with Alex’s limp, and stepped aside to let him pass. He tried not to be too obvious about watching Alex’s movement, but when he pulled up his pant leg to reveal metal where there should’ve been skin, Michael stared. 

“I was in an accident a few years back.” Alex said, not looking away from where he was carefully taking off his shoes. It was like he knew Michael’s full attention was on him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Michael said awkwardly.

“It’s okay. I mean, it’s kinda hard to ignore, right?” Alex reached for a pair of slippers, one of them shaped differently and with clasps. He attached it to the bottom of his prosthetic leg. 

“How did it happen?” Michael asked.

“Shark attack.”

“What, shit, really?!” Michael exclaimed in shock.

Alex laughed, “No, not even close. It was a speeding car, nothing special.”

Michael grabbed at his heart, “Holy shit, Alex, don’t do that.”

“Have fun about my missing leg? Come on, if I can’t joke about it, I’ll go crazy. You know how many tears I’ve spilled over it? You gotta let me have a little fun.”

“I suppose.” Michael murmured. When Alex stood back up and headed towards the kitchen area, Michael finally took off his boots and followed.

“So this is it.” Alex waved a hand around. “Kitchen and living room out here, bathroom behind you, bedroom and office behind those two doors. It’s not much, but I like it.”

It was a small apartment, the couch comically big in front of a 32 inch TV. A once white dining room table with four chairs was placed by the main room’s only window. There were a few random art pieces up on the walls, but no photos. The art was mostly abstract, dark with splashes of color. There was a postcard near the TV, ‘_greetings from Niagara Falls!_’ stamped across it. 

“And the railings? You put that in yourself?” Michael asked. 

“Believe it or not, I have a great landlord. He grew up with deaf parents so they had all kinds of tricks at their house, like a doorbell that was connected to a lamp, and an oven that turned itself off, stuff like that, so he’s specialized in adaptive housing. About half his units are ordinary apartments, but when my accident happened, he came in here telling me about all the things he could put in. We split the costs, and he didn’t raise the rent.” Alex looked away. “He stood by me when others didn’t.”

“That’s awesome.” Michael said. He was about to say something about how there were too few helpful souls in the world, but then he remembered what Alex had said to him in the shed when he’d brought Michael a guitar and it felt too loaded to say anything.

“You can just put your stuff wherever and I’ll get started on dinner.” 

“Can I help with anything?” Michael asked, unsure of his role. The only homes he visited belonged to Isobel or Max. Max didn’t give a shit what Michael did at his house, and Isobel refused to let Michael do anything but nurse a beer while she hosted. But Michael knew houseguests were supposed to be more polite than that. 

“You can set the table.” Alex pointed towards a cupboard, “Plates in there, glasses in the next cupboard.”

Thankful to have something to occupy himself with, Michael set the table with more care than he’d ever shown the chore before. It struck him that he probably hadn’t set a table for more than one person since his foster home days. Being with Alex, taking note of the way he decorated his home, sensing his presence, it threw Michael for a loop and then some. While he was desperate for an acetone-laced beer, he also wanted to keep a clear head. He had a million questions, but was afraid of every answer. He supposed the biggest one was already answered. Alex had loved him, but had walked away because Michael wasn’t important enough to stick around for. 

“Everything okay?” Alex asked. 

Michael looked over, breaking out of the downward spiral before it really got started. “Uh yeah. Just thinking about my brother, you know?”

Alex shot him a gentle look, lowering his voice, “Hey, we’ll do everything we can, alright? We can cross reference what I found with your list and take it from there. I know you have no reasons to trust me anymore, but I promise I will do this with you until the end if you want me to.”

Michael swallowed hard, “Thanks.”

Alex told Michael to watch some TV while he finished making dinner, and Michael took him up on it. He felt like a coward, running to the couch to avoid more conversation he was underprepared for. He checked his phone, but was unsure what kind of status update he could give the others, so he put it back in his pocket without sending anything. Alex brought over a glass of water, smiling ruefully at Michael as their fingers touched when he handed it over. That small smile, with his warm eyes trained on Michael’s face, made Michael forget the resentment that had bubbled up earlier. He shifted around on the sofa, so that he could pretend to watch TV while really sneaking glances at Alex. 

He was still beautiful. If anything, his beauty had matured, grown into something comforting and calm. In high school, Alex’s beauty had been angry and spikey, something that slapped you in the face. Now, it was more likely to caress your face and tell you you were beautiful too. Michael sighed at himself. Here he was, ten years later, still making assumptions about Alex and how well he really knew him. All because Alex had once shown kindness, and had treated Michael like he was worth something.

Maybe Michael should believe him. Maybe the reason Alex left was because he loved him and wanted to protect him. Alex fished up a spaghetti noodle and bit into it. His mouth pursed as he pondered the chewiness, and Michael wasn’t surprised at all that he found it adorable. Even if Alex wouldn’t be able to help him find the child, at least Michael got to see him like this.

They ate at the table, Michael finding the food surprisingly tasty and telling Alex so.

Alex laughed, “Thanks, man. I haven’t cooked for someone else in a long time, good to know it’s still up to scratch.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever cooked for anyone. Coffee, maybe.”

“Yeah?” Alex took a sip of his water, “No one… uh, special back home?”

Michael felt a thrill at Alex asking something so obvious, “Nope.” He hesitated, but decided to go for it, “Never has been.”

“Oh.” Alex seemed very interested in his plate of pasta.

“You?” Michael asked, heart thundering in his chest.

Alex kicked his leg out awkwardly, “Kinda lost interest after this. Been burned a couple of times before that. One time because of it.”

“Oh?” Michael did not hide his curiosity at all. 

Alex made a strained face before saying, “I was engaged. Brent was… supposed to be a perfect match, you know? And he was. But after the accident, things were just different. I was different. He tried for a while, but I kept pushing him away. I couldn’t deal with his guilt, and he couldn’t deal with my anger. I don’t think he meant to leave, but I kind of drove him to it.”

“Was he the one that caused the accident?”

“Oh no.” Alex shook his head, “That was just some random dude who was late for work and decided to run a yellow light at an intersection. Fucking idiot. I don’t know, I’ve tried to make my peace with it, but it blows.”

“Do you get phantom pains?”

“I got them a lot at first, and nightmares. Now, it’s a lot less often. I have pills and I have distance. Time is one hell of a medicine.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Michael thought about the ten years of hurt he’d gone through. “My hand still freezes up sometimes. Spasms like you wouldn’t believe.”

Alex shoveled some pasta into his mouth, obviously using it to keep from having to say something. Michael followed suit, and they ate in silence for a few minutes. They were both men used to eating fast and out of necessity, not to enjoy a gastronomic experience, so the meal was over too quickly for Michael’s liking. It was barely past eight in evening, and even if that meant it was nine o’clock in Roswell, Michael was nowhere close to sleepy. That meant they had more time to talk, which was a daunting concept. 

After clearing the table together, they settled on the couch. Alex flipped through the channels, giggling as he landed on some old Bond movie.

“What’s so funny?” Michael asked, wondering if it’d be rude to ask for a beer.

“When people ask my name, or how I spell it, I say like Roger Moore.” Alex chuckled.

“Is that who you took the name from?”

Alex laughed louder, “I’d like to say yes, but there was actually a Demi Moore movie on when I made the decision to change it. My 19-year-old self thought it was super heavy too, because I am more than just my name, you know? I was more than a Manes.”

Michael laughed too, “That’s deep, man.”

“I was hardcore.” Alex laughed. “God, I was such a dumb kid.”

“All kids are.”

Alex’s laughter petered out slowly.

“You said you had a degree. How could you do that with a false name?”

“Ooh boy.” Alex exhaled. He shifted around so he was facing Michael, but his prosthetic made it difficult for him to get his legs in what looked like a comfortable position. “I guess I owe you the truth. And I know you don’t owe me anything at all, but I’m gonna ask you again to not tell anyone you met me, or what I’m about to tell you. It might not be fair, and it might not be right, but I’ve worked hard to create a life I can be proud of.”

Michael studied Alex’s face, the genuine plea there, the hope and the fear mixed together. “You know I won’t, Alex. You know it.”

Alex’s eyes dropped down to Michael’s mouth for a second, and Michael felt the heat spread like a wildfire inside of him. Apparently, Michael wasn’t the only one overcome with old emotions.

“At first I just ran. Put as much distance between me and my dad as I could. I was up north within a matter of days. I had cash and a fake ID. Bought a really shitty Chevy and lived in it. I’m not gonna bore you, but the first year or two was just laying low, focusing on not being found by my dad. I’d go into internet cafés and… did I ever tell you I’m good at hacking?”

“Hacking? Like, computers?”

“Yeah. I’m fucking terrific at it. Anyway, I’d installed spyware on my dad’s computer, and the other computers in the house. So I could see what he did. When and where he looked for me.”

“Are you serious?” Michael stared wide-eyed at the other man. “Wow, you really are Roger Moore.”

Alex laughed, “I’m Alex Moore. I made some paperwork appear, and went to the DMV and when I was 19, I became Alex Moore, resident of Palo Alto, California.”

“Palo Alto?”

“You’d hate it.” Alex said with a smirk. “I saw you driving earlier, you hate traffic.”

“I don’t mind traffic, it’s other drivers I have a problem with.” 

Alex smiled at the comment, but continued without pausing, “Alex Moore hadn’t been to high school though, so I got a job by begging a lovely girl at yet another internet café I spent too much time at, and managed to scrape together enough money to afford a room in an apartment with three other guys, and by the time I managed to forge a GED certificate, I was able to enroll in some night school programs. After a year that became community college near Seattle, and yeah. Took it slow on account of the money situation, but I have a degree in pedagogy, which together with the psychology classes I’ve taken has led me here, where I work as a coordinator and counsellor at the youth home.”

“Wow, that was the abridged version, huh?”

“I don’t really like talking about some of it. The nights on the streets, the shelters, the friends I made and lost.” Alex shrugged. “Not really a conversation for a night like this.”

Michael felt a stab through his heart, like someone had taken an icepick and shoved it into his body. He’d tried to ignore that part of running away all day, but having it confirmed sucked. 

“Yeah, I know how that goes.” Michael had never really told anyone the true depths of abuse he’d suffered as a foster child, couldn’t even remember how open he’d been with Alex. “That’s why I need to find my brother. He may not be on the streets yet, but there’s a chance he might end up there, and if the foster parents he has are anything like mine, I need to save him before he starts thinking there’s something wrong with him.” Michael neglected to mention that the thing that might be wrong were alien powers, but he could tell that Alex was listening to him, and actually hearing him. Even with his eyes on Alex’s face, and he hadn’t met someone’s eyes this much during a conversation in forever, he wasn’t ready for Alex’s hand on his. 

“We’ll start looking at first light, okay?” 

Michael nodded. Alex was sitting closer than he had been, and stayed there when he took his hand back. Michael kept his eyes on that hand, on the long fingers and the black metal ring around the thumb. He thought about that hand in his hair, on his neck, around his waist. 

“I need to know something.” Alex said quietly. “My dad. He’s the reason… I just need to know, has he been hassling you? It sounded earlier like maybe he had.”

Michael looked up from Alex’s hand to his face, which was pained and all Michael wanted was to make that pain go away. But he couldn’t. “He’s never touched me again. But when we run in to each other, it’s not pretty. He’ll use you still, tell me things about you. That I’m now realizing are complete lies. He’s never known where you are, has he?”

“Not as far as I’m aware. I told him I’d enlist. He thought I was going to a prep introduction at base. I’m not sure when he realized I’d done a runner. The emails and searches on his computer started after a couple weeks.”

“Wow. Yeah, he’s never admitted that. We only found out because Flint told Liz at a New Year’s Eve party that your dad was spazzing out about you running away and too ashamed to admit it.” Michael shook his head. “I was so happy when I heard, at first. I’d spent months terrified that he’d forced you to enlist, that you were gonna have to fight a war for him, and what might happen to you wherever they decided to send you. I was happy that you’d fucked him over. Then I started wondering why you’d left me.”

“Fuck.” Alex took Michael’s hand again, “I didn’t want to leave you.”

“But you did.” Michael snatched his hand back.

“Guerin, please, just… I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. But put yourself in my place. I was seventeen, my dad threatened to kill me almost daily, and he’d fucking smashed the hand of the only boy who had ever paid attention to me, who’d seen past the bullshit and looked at _me_. I was never going to make it past twenty in Roswell.”

“You could have taken me with you!” Michael exclaimed, more upset than he knew what to do with. “You think I had anything great waiting for me there? That place was just as shit for me!”

“Then why are you still there? You had that scholarship at UNM! Didn’t you take that?”

“No! Fuck, Alex. You have no idea what happened after you left. I couldn’t fucking leave because I had people that counted on me, which you clearly didn’t!”

“I fucked up! I know that, but me leaving did not mean you had to stay! You should’ve gotten out too, you were supposed to get out too. You’re too fucking good for that place.” Alex looked angry. He shoved at Michael’s shoulder, “Why the fuck didn’t you get out?”

“Isobel needed me! Max needed me! Everything was falling apart and you left me like I didn’t even matter and there were two people in the world who actually did care about me, at least I thought so then. So fuck you, Alex. Fuck you.”

They were both panting from shouting at each other, Alex’s hand still firmly gripping Michael’s shoulder. There was a flush on Alex’s cheek, making Michael flash back to when they’d fooled around in the Manes shed, the first and only time he’d been truly happy. He reached out, put his hand on Alex’s cheek. His voice was shot, almost trembling, as he repeated, “Fuck you, Alex.”

Alex’s eyes were piercing, like he was looking past Michael’s skin and into his soul. He’d never felt so naked in front of anyone, not even when Isobel walked around his mindspace. Alex licked his lips. 

“Guerin…” Alex said on an exhale. Then he leaned in, and kissed Michael. 

Michael was stunned for the first second, wondering what the hell was happening, then he put his other hand on Alex’s other cheek, pushing himself closer as he held him and kissed him for all he was worth. He kissed Alex like he’d missed him for ten years, like he’d never stopped loving him. It was desperate, hard, unrelenting. Alex answered in kind, pulling Michael closer by his shirt, got his arms around his neck and held on for dear life. 

Kissing Alex quieted all the warring thoughts that he’d been stuck with for the past hours. It gave him strength and courage. If he could have this, maybe things would finally take a turn for the better. When he tilted Alex’s head so that he could trail kisses down Alex’s jaw and neck, and Alex moaned ever so quietly, he thought that maybe could get to be happy one more time in his life. 

Alex chased after his mouth again, licking along Michael’s lips before pressing his tongue in. It made Michael groan, and press closer. He felt Alex’s hand tangle up in his hair. With most people he didn’t like the fascination with his hair, but with Alex it felt intimate and gentle. He wanted to explore in turn, and let his hands travel over Alex’s torso and sides, grinning when Alex giggled or hissed at the ticklish feeling.

“You, uh, mind if I take my shirt off?” Michael whispered into Alex’s ear.

Leaning back, Alex gave Michael a coy look before pulling at his own shirt. Michael could get behind that and made swift work of his shirt. He smiled at Alex sitting there looking a little uncomfortable. There was a scar that he’d never seen before down Alex’s side, but what really caught his attention was the unexpectedly sculpted chest. His appreciation had to be obvious, because Alex laughed. 

“I do a lot of upper body workout.” Alex said, biting his lip, “Not that you’re hard to look at.”

Michael bit back a joke about being hard enough, and reached out to touch Alex’s chest, a thumb rubbing at Alex’s nipple. 

“Oh fuck.” Alex melted into the touch, once again pulling Michael closer, “Fuck, Guerin, can we–”

“What?” Michael asked, and he knew he was playing dirty but he leaned over, closing his lips over the hardened nipple. 

“Yup, okay, we need to move this to the bedroom.”

“Why?” Michael pressed a kiss to Alex’s cheek instead.

“’Cos I need to get rid of my prosthetic soon anyway and having sex with it on is not sexy at all, and I have my crutches in there.” Alex said, putting a hand on Michael’s chest and pushing him gently away a few inches. “Plus the lube is in there.”

“Oh. Right.” Michael scratched his hair. “Yeah, absolutely. Do you need help?”

“Nah, I’m fine. But you could turn off the TV and the lights out here.” Alex shrugged a shoulder, “Sorry, I know this is a massive buzzkill.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Michael put a finger under Alex’s jaw, making him look at him. He kissed him softly for a quick moment. “You’re still the best looking guy I’ve ever seen.”

Alex grinned, giving Michael an obvious once-over, “Yeah. I know the feeling.”

Michael did help Alex up off the couch and kept a hand at his back until he was sure Alex wasn’t going to topple over. He did as asked and turned off the lights, and even checked that the front door was locked before making his way to Alex’s bedroom. Two table lamps were lit, one on a dresser near the door, and one on Alex’s nightstand. The bed was kingsize – for an engaged couple, Michael’s mind supplied – and Alex was sitting on the edge of it, taking his jeans off. He had them down by his knees, and seemed to hesitate. 

“I can come back once you’ve taken it off.” Michael offered. “Or we could just forget this ever happened and I can stay on the couch.”

“Do you want that?” Alex asked, looking over with an inscrutable look. 

Michael swallowed. “No.”

“Okay. Just, if it freaks you out, please don’t be obvious about it.” Alex said quietly. 

Michael wanted to find whomever had made Alex self-conscious about his appearance after losing his leg, and make them hurt like it was clear Alex was hurting. He might’ve seemed calm and confident during the day, but here, in his own home, he was careful and antsy. It wasn’t right.

Michael walked over, sitting down next to Alex. “You forget I’m an engineering genius. I wanna know what it looks like.”

Alex laughed, “So much for foreplay.”

“Hey,” Michael pressed a kiss to Alex’s shoulder, “I meant it. You’re the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.”

“Am I the only guy you’ve ever been with?”

Michael shook his head.

“So you’ll last longer this time?”

Michael paused. He sat up straight and stared at Alex. “You did not.”

“I think I did.” Alex grinned, raising an eyebrow.

“Okay, get that leg off so I can show you all the moves I’ve learned.”

Alex laughed, finally revealing his metallic leg. Michael’s interest was definitely piqued by the straps and clasps, and the scarring on Alex’s leg, but he remained focused on making Alex comfortable and stroked his side, hoping it showed him that Michael would never reject him for something like this. 

After having taken the sock off his stump, Alex shifted so he sat resting against the headboard. “So.”

“So, you want a blowjob?” Michael asked. 

“Yeah,” Alex chuckled, “definitely. Get me back in the mood with those suave new moves of yours?”

Michael accepted that challenge, quickly stripping completely naked before climbing on top of Alex. Alex pulled him down by wrapping his arms around Michael’s neck again, and Michael molded his body to Alex’s, their mouths meeting in a mess of lips and tongue. 

Without a conscious effort, Michael started moving his hips and found Alex’s legs wrapped around him too, as he pressed against Michael. It was overwhelming, Alex trapping him with his body. It was everything he’d daydreamed about for years, his most romantic fantasy coming to life. But it was so much better too, because he got to taste Alex, got to smell him and touch him. Alex’s skin was beautiful, the Californian sun bringing out his natural tan. He had dark hair on his chest that Michael found very sexy, and feeling the five-o’clock-shadow against his lips only drove the sense of ‘_finally_’ home. 

Eventually Michael left Alex’s mouth for his neck, his collarbone and his chest. Alex responded to everything with quiet moans and trembling. His hands were curious on Michael’s body, staying only for a moment somewhere before looking for a new spot that made Michael groan. Michael looked up for confirmation before taking Alex’s briefs off, making sure to get them completely off both legs before letting them land wherever. Alex’s eyes were blown wide, a dark desire in them that Michael knew was mirrored in his own eyes. 

Sucking Alex into his mouth was intoxicating. Alex moaned loudly, his hands in Michael’s hair. Giving head had never been Michael’s thing, but like this, Alex sharing his body with him, showing himself boldly to the world, it was something completely different than usual. He wanted Alex to feel good, wanted to be the one that made him feel that way. He bobbed his head up and down, eyes closed as he worked Alex’s cock. It was thicker than he remembered, the head perfect for suckling on. He got distracted, kissing and licking at the head of Alex’s dick, since it made Alex pant and kick his leg out. He loved how responsive Alex was, obviously much more confident in bed than he’d been the last time they did this. 

“You like that?” Michael asked hoarsely, nipping at Alex’s navel.

“Oh fuck yes. Your mouth… Michael, you’re filthy.”

Michael preened at the use of his first name in combination with his sexual abilities. He spat into his palm, then started stroking Alex’s hard dick, loving how Alex fucked his fist. At Alex’s panted plea, he put his mouth back on him, meeting his fist on Alex’s dick. It was quick after that, a few snaps of his wrist and licks of his tongue, before Alex was spurting all over his fist. 

“Can I rub off on you?” Michael asked, because his dick was leaking and he had the utterly pornographic sight of Alex spread out and flushed underneath him. 

“Go for it, cowboy.” 

Michael made an embarrassing little growl in the back of his throat, attacking Alex’s lips. Alex laughed, working a hand in between them. Together, they jerked Michael’s dick, Alex whispering filthy nonsense into Michael’s ear. Alex using his hand to press Michael’s cock against his stomach was what finally drove Michael over the edge, coming with a broken gasp. 

“Stay in here with me tonight?” Alex asked a few minutes later, when it was time for them to move apart and clean up.

“Yeah.”

**

Michael woke up disoriented and warm. He blinked against the darkness, trying to chase the dreamy feeling of holding Alex close. Then he realized he’d been holding him for real, that he’d met Alex less than 24 hours ago, and had gotten to kiss him again. He then realized he was alone in bed. He shuffled around on the bed, but eventually managed to reach the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was half past four in the morning. He groaned, wondering where Alex had gone to. It was probably to the toilet, and Michael decided to close his eyes as he waited. 

Next thing he knew, he was waking up properly, sunlight making a brave appearance through a window, and Alex was lying on his side, watching him. 

“Hey,” Michael yawned.

“Hey.” Alex scratched his neck. “So, can I kiss you good morning or was last night a fluke?”

Michael knew his smile was way too sappy, but pulling Alex in with a finger on the necklace he wore was probably a giveaway about his feelings on the matter. Alex downright giggled at the cheesy moment, but still kissed Michael just as fervently as he had last night. 

“Am I crazy or did we have sex twice last night?” Michael asked once Alex pulled away to rest by his side. 

“You’re not crazy.” Alex deadpanned.

“Huh.” Michael smirked, remembering their second-go-around when he’d gotten his hands, and dick, on Alex’s ass. It had been very firm, and very lovely. He rolled onto his side and was about to get his hands on Alex’s very nice naked chest when he stopped short. “Did we switch sides?”

“I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you shanghaied my side. I made do.”

Michael frowned, he thought he remembered that, but there was something wrong with the timing, if Alex had come back while he was still awake Michael would’ve rolled back for sure. He knew all about beds being important personal territory, on account of him having had none for a large chunk of his life. 

“It’s barely gone past seven, but I figured maybe you’d want an early start? I’ve looked up which homes are closest, and which ones are open. Depending on how it goes we might make quite a trip today, so I was gonna go get some gas in the tank, and get some groceries while I’m at it. You can take a shower if you want, and you can have whatever I’ve got for breakfast in the meantime.” Alex said. “Don’t mean to run out on you, but we’ll get things going quicker this way.”

Michael had been thinking about morning sex, but Alex’s plan reminded him of why he was really here, and what really mattered. Last night had been amazing and something he’d cherish forever, but he was out here looking for an alien child, not the love of his life. That child’s existence and well-being was more important than any needs Michael might have. 

“Yeah, sounds good. Let me guess, you coordinate shit like this for a living.” 

Alex laughed as he got out of bed, “Sometimes I need to make shit happen at work, it is true.” 

He put on a shirt, which made Michael pout. He’d already put on his prosthetic, denying Michael the opportunity to get a closer look at it, but Michael could tell that the limp was a little more obvious in the morning. It was probably on account of Alex’s body still waking up, but it was still something that made him wonder at the mechanics of it all. 

“Shouldn’t be more than half an hour, forty five minutes tops.” Alex called out as he left the bedroom.

“Yeah.” Michael managed to sit up, legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll be here.”

The slam of the front door was the only goodbye he got. 

“Well.” Michael said. “Guess it’s time to explore.” He stood up, taking a closer look at the bedroom. There was more personality in here, random photos of Alex with animals and people clustered above a dresser, a few random papers with scribbles on them, and drinking glasses and mugs. Alex obviously didn’t do the dishes until he had to. 

He’d only been in the bathroom quickly last night to relieve himself, so this time he opened up the medicine cabinet. There was the normal stuff like toothpaste, hair gel and deodorant, but also some makeup, anal cleaner and anti-depressants. Michael decided that was pretty normal too. He took a shower, using the shower gel that was in there. He liked the fact that he would probably smell like Alex. He realized all the anger he’d felt towards the other man yesterday had been blown away by that one first kiss on the couch, and he couldn’t care less. Maybe he’d be mad when he got back to Roswell, but right now, he was happy. He thought he deserved that, just one small moment of happiness before the world inevitably turned to shit around him again. 

He got clean underwear and a somewhat clean shirt from his duffle bag, but he only had the jeans he’d travelled in so he put those back on in the bedroom where they’d been lying on the floor during the night. Exiting the bedroom, he stood opposite the door leading to what Alex had called his office. Michael pressed down the handle. He frowned when he realized it was locked. Knowing that he shouldn’t, he used his powers to unlock the door. Alex was going to be gone for at least fifteen more minutes, he’d never know that Michael had been in there. 

Carefully opening the door, Michael was disappointed. There was almost nothing in there but a computer and three screens, all on a desk that was pretty big and which had folders in different piles on it. An old-school filing cabinet was pushed up against the wall and the curtains were drawn shut. Michael was about to walk back out when a manila folder labelled ‘Flint’ caught his eye. The name was scribbled at the very top in tiny letters, but it still stuck out. Michael took the folder from the desk, eyes widening as he flipped through it. Inside were transcript records and photos of Alex’s youngest brother. There were handwritten notes with dates, places and random comments on them. 

Putting the folder back down, he grabbed another one, saw that it was marked ‘Calvin’, and was less shocked to see similar material about his oldest brother, only this one had more papers about flight patterns and pictures of Calvin with their father. Simply seeing a picture of Jesse Manes was enough to make Michael’s blood boil. He hated that man for what he did to Alex, what he did to _them_, and what he was still doing to the people Michael loved. Thanks to Kyle, they now knew of Project Shepard and Jesse Manes’ continued efforts to wipe out all aliens and cause them as much pain as possible in the process.

Michael froze suddenly. Most of the dates in the files were from after Alex had left Roswell. Those pictures of Jesse and Calvin was from an event three years ago. Something was going on here. He grabbed another folder, but it was full of mathematical equations and nothing else. The next folder had drawings in it, drawings of everything from armadillos to spaceships. Michael felt his pulse quicken at that, and grabbed a folder from the last pile. It was red, like all the folders in that pile. He opened it, and fell down into the desk chair he’d ignored until then. It had a map of Roswell in it, and a picture of Isobel from their high school year book. Michael had no idea what it meant, but Alex had not left Roswell quite as far behind as he’d implied. 

He threw the folder on the desk. It bounced against the computer mouse, which lit up. A few seconds later, the computer whirred to life. The screen asked for a password. Michael’s pulse ramped up even further. Knowing what Alex kept in those files, he was certain he needed to know what he kept on his hard drive. He also knew he’d never crack Alex’s password. If he was such a good hacker that he could create government papers and somehow monitor his own family without them knowing, Alex’s password would be better than ‘Michael4ever’. 

Unsure of what to do and running out of time, Michael turned to the filing cabinet. All the drawers were locked, but with his powers it was as simple as blinking to open them. Most of the folders he looked at had more mathematical equations and drawings in them, though some of them were full of templates for ID’s and passports, random phone numbers page up and page down. 

He found one folder that had pictures of a young, pretty Native American woman. Glancing through the papers and seeing the names, Michael realized he was looking at Alex’s mother. He suddenly felt dirty looking through Alex’s stuff, like he was violating his privacy. He swore, started putting everything back in place, trying to remember what folders belonged to what pile on the desk. 

“Guerin?” 

Michael’s eyes snapped to the doorway. Alex stared at him. Michael stared back. Alex had a bag from _Juan’s Supermercado_ in his hand. 

“This door was locked.” Alex said, breaking the silence. “That cabinet was locked.”

Michael didn’t have the first clue how to respond. 

“Did you fucking break in here? Are you fucking serious? The door was locked and you thought ‘oh, I’ll just go in here where I’m obviously not wanted’?” Alex sounded furious.

“What is all this?” Michael countered. “There’s a lot of fucked up shit here, Alex. Have you been stalking your dad? What is all this fucking shit?”

“I don’t stalk him! I watch him! Make sure he doesn’t do any harm!”

“Any harm? What the fuck are you on about?” Michael had to laugh, Jesse was causing a great fucking deal of harm, had been for ages. 

“He’s insane, alright?” Alex said, coming closer. “He’s fucking insane, and he’s abusing his power and influence to manipulate my brothers into his private fucking crusade.”

Michael’s head started pounding, a sure sign he needed acetone. “Have you ever… come across anything referring to a Project Shepard?”

Alex’s eyes widened. “You know about Project Shepard?” 

“What do you know about it?” Michael evaded the question.

“What do _you_ know about it?” Alex asked right back. He sighed when Michael didn’t show any sign of responding to the question. He sat down in the desk chair, keeping a careful distance between himself and Michael. He logged on to the computer quickly and within moments, all three screens were full of pictures, maps, military records. Alex gestured at the screens. “This is what I know about Project Shepard.”

Michael stared at the screens, finding the word ‘Caulfield’ on something that looked military. He pointed at the screen, “What’s this? Do you have more information about it?”

Alex frowned. “Caulfield?” Alex tapped on it, opening up documents that had been scanned. “That’s where my dad…”

“Kept aliens.” Michael murmured. 

Alex turned his head to look at him, confused and surprised. “Uhm, no, that’s where my dad thinks aliens are. Because he’s insane and thinks that aliens are among us and a big threat that’s more important than the actual wars and horrors happening on this planet.”

Michael turned his head too, and flinched from how close he was to Alex. 

Alex only looked angrier, “The ’47 crash is nonsense, you know that too, Guerin. It’s what Roswell uses to make tourist money, nothing more.”

Michael was stuck. Should he tell Alex the truth?

“This is not happening. Did he get to you? Are you part of Project Shepard?” Alex asked, worry shining through. 

“What?! No! I’m an alien!” Michael exclaimed. Decision made, then. 

“You’re an alien?” Alex’s face was going through several emotions, like surprise, anger, incredulity. “You’re going to stand there and tell me you’re an alien? What are you smoking?”

“I’m an alien, and Project Shepard is your dad’s way of keeping my family in chains, he experimented on them at Caulfield before we could rescue them, I lost my mom because…” Michael could feel the emotions welling up inside, “because we’ve been too fucking lazy to do our homework. We thought we were safe, that we were the only ones here. I’ve been working on the ship when I should’ve been–”

“Okay, so back to the part where you claim to be an alien.” Alex put his hand on Michael’s arm. “Should I call someone?”

“I can prove it!” As Michael said it, all the cabinet drawers that had been opened slammed closed. Alex jumped in his seat, looking at the cabinet. Michael knew what he had to do, so he closed his eyes and centered himself. He let his power bubble to the surface, and opened his eyes. Slowly, one folder flew into the air and landed on the desk where Alex had his hand. Alex pulled it way like he’d been burned. Then another folder opened up without anyone touching it. 

“What the fuck…” Alex mumbled under his breath. 

For his finale, Michael turned his attention to the bedroom. He remembered where he’d put his duffle bag and pulled on it. Suddenly the bag appeared in the office doorway. With a deep exhalation, Michael let his power fall back into his subconscious, and focused on Alex. 

“Yeah. I’m an alien. Also… your dad’s in a coma.” Michael grimaced, “I probably should’ve told you the last part sooner.”

**

An hour later, they still hadn’t left the apartment. They were going through whatever they could find in Alex’s material about Caulfield and other facilities. Michael had never told anyone that he was extraterrestrial before, so he didn’t have anything to compare Alex’s reaction to, but he seemed to be handling it fine. Every so often he’d stop whatever he was doing, stare into the distance or laugh, but he seemed to accept Michael’s revelation for what it was. 

Alex asked a few questions, like how long Michael had been on earth, how he got here and after finding out about the pods and the spaceship parts, he asked all the questions that Michael had asked himself about their functionality and engineering. Michael was happy to talk about it, since he had a lot of theories about it that he rarely got to share with anyone, and Alex seemed genuinely interested, even bringing up points that Michael hadn’t thought of, or disregarded too quickly. 

Hearing about Jim and Kyle Valenti’s parts in the story, about Liz and Rosa, made Alex curse and shout, but he never stopped clicking around on the computer, engaging what seemed to be several search engines in databases and skimming through a load of official-looking documents. He asked surprisingly few questions about his father’s current health and what their plan for him was. Not that they had a real plan yet.

“Okay, so you think Jim Valenti managed to get to the kid before my dad, right?” Alex said. 

Michael nodded, “Yeah.”

“That could match up, because the conference you have Valenti at in LA happened in June, and my dad was in the Persian Golf through July that year. I can’t find a request from him to return to the States early, so he might’ve planned to be back in time for the birth. But if Valenti was set on saving the baby, he could’ve had them perform a c-section early, or maybe it was a natural early birth. Do you know how long your species is pregnant?”

“No clue.” Michael explained, “Isobel’s been too scared to carry a child, not knowing if it’ll be human or not, or whether she’d need hospital care at any point of the pregnancy. Seems a bit redundant now that we know Noah was an alien too.”

“A homicidal alien. So maybe she’s better off.” Alex pointed out. “But it’s still possible that the child was born before my dad thought it would be, so he didn’t find out about it in time. It also gives Valenti time to get rid of the child and fake its death.”

“Whoa, you think?”

“From all my intel on my dad in the last decade, all the intel on Project Shepard, there’s never been a sign he’s been to California at all. If he knew that an alien child was living here, don’t you think he’d been looking for it? I don’t think he knows it exists.”

Michael nodded, “Valenti could’ve told him it died at birth. If the mother survived, chances are she kept quiet about it too. Or maybe Valenti lied to her too.”

Alex sighed, “We can speculate ‘til the cows come home. I think for the moment we need to focus on finding the kid.” 

“So…” Michael looked down for a second before meeting Alex’s gaze. “You still want to help me find him?”

“Yeah, as crazy as that is.” Alex had a little smile playing on his lips, making Michael’s heart flutter. “Nothing you’ve told me has made me less adamant about finding this kid. If he has powers like you, that could turn a foster home situation into a nightmare, right?”

“I had a cross burnt onto my forearm by religious fundamentalists who thought I was possessed.” Michael confessed.

“Holy shit, Guerin.” Alex rolled closer with the desk chair and embraced Michael awkwardly around the waist. “Whatever we can do to stop that from happening to him…”

Michael found it hard to fight back the tears. He put his arms around Alex and whispered, “Thank you.”

They held each other for a few minutes. Michael didn’t know what was going through Alex’s mind, but his own was spinning with new possibilities, happiness that Alex hadn’t run out on him, elation that Alex was still willing to touch him. He knew the morning’s revelations would need time to fully sink in for both of them, but if they could keep civil while arguing, there was a chance this wasn’t his last moments with Alex. 

“Oh yeah!” Alex shot up, leaving Michael a little bereft, “When I was in here last night, I hacked into the CPS database to see what facilities they used in 2014 for children they couldn’t place in homes.”

“I knew it!” Michael lit up, “I knew you weren’t just on the toilet!” 

“Yes, you’re very observant.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I can’t be sure I’ve found them all, because the case workers are seldom as meticulous about their digital records as they should be, but from comparing with Max’s list, there’s six places we should try first. Unless there’s anything you can tell me about the child now, that you couldn’t yesterday.”

“Before you knew about aliens, you mean?”

“Yeah.”

“’Fraid not. We don’t have any pictures so we don’t know any distinguishing marks. Don’t know his blood type. We’ve never let anyone but Liz and Kyle draw blood from us, and that was just in the last couple of months because Max is an idiot. Never even been to a hospital. Can’t risk someone finding something in our blood or DNA.”

Alex frowned, “So how’d your hand get fixed?”

Michael held the hand in question up, made a fist, “It was like, a month ago. Max healed it without my permission.”

Alex reached for said hand, captured it between his own hands. He stroked the back of it with gentle fingers. “Why didn’t you want him to do it?”

Michael sucked in a breath, “Back then, because I wouldn’t know how to explain it to you. But then you never came back. So it became a reminder. Of what happens when I let my guard down.”

With a soft final caress, Alex let the hand go, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you then, and I’m sorry I’ve been blind to my dad’s insanity when that’s all I’ve thought I’ve monitored.” He laughed darkly, “Fuck, I thought sleeping with you was gonna be the most memorable thing I did this weekend. Little did I know.”

“Hey, I thought last night was pretty memorable.” Michael smirked. “What’s with you and bitching about my sexual prowess?”

“You’re an alien!” Alex exclaimed through laughter, “An actual alien! That my dad wants to kill! And there’s a fucking alien child somewhere we gotta find or my dad will kill it.”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Michael laughed too.

Alex stood up, putting his arms over Michael’s shoulder in what seemed to be a favorite move of his, “Make out once for luck?”

“Whatever excuse you need, sweetheart.” Michael closed the distance between them, his dry lips scraping against Alex’s stubble. 

**

The first group home they visited was a bust since they’d accepted only girls since 2015. The second was a bust too, but mostly because no one working there had been around more than two years. There was a niggling feeling inside of Michael that they couldn’t completely cross the place off the list, but the shouting and yelling he’d heard from the sleeping quarters made him glad they didn’t find the kid there. 

Alex did the talking at the facilities, while Michael threw out the alien mind signals that Isobel had taught him. Her ability to walk inside of people’s minds also let her sense them, and send something she likened to mental waves, gentle pushes to see if their minds were receptive to manipulation or not. If Michael could sense that pressure being pushed back at him, then perhaps it was the child they were looking for. 

As they drove, Alex would hold Michael’s hand or point out places he had stories about. They drove around the greater LA area, but Michael had no clue when Alex mentioned the different neighborhoods and what they were famous for. Michael did react when Alex pointed to a restaurant and said it was where Brent had proposed. 

“Really, he did it in a restaurant? That’s so cheesy.”

“Yeah, but that’s Brent.” Alex smiled, “He did some things the old fashioned way. You wanna know the best part?”

“What?”

“Two months after he moved out, I heard he started dating the maître-d’ from that very restaurant.”

“No!” Michael put his hand over his mouth, trying to contain his laughter.

“I know!” Alex pushed his sunglasses up on his head as the sun hid behind a cloud again. “They’re still together. I was furious at first, but now I just laugh. I was never gonna go that restaurant again anyway, but hearing that… I assume he’s in there regularly. Like, he proposed there to one guy, now he’s there to pick up some other guy after his shift?”

“Sounds like maybe you weren’t meant to be after all.” 

“Probably not.” Alex agreed. “I hope he’s happy though. I loved him a lot, and if it wasn’t for the accident, I’d probably be married to him by now.”

Michael hated that he was happy Alex wasn’t married, because it meant he was happy Alex had lost a leg, happy that Alex had been left behind when he’d needed someone the most. 

“The next place, I know the woman who runs it, she’s worked with foster kids probably thirty years by now, so even if he’s not there, she may help ‘cos she’s got a memory like you wouldn’t believe. She’ll remember if anyone’s mentioned a kid from New Mexico.”

That made Michael a little hopeful. He’d put off sending status updates to Max, other than letting him know that he was searching yet more places, and he’d very much like it if he could send actual information back to Roswell. They were all on standby to rush out if Michael needed them, and he could sense the underlying meaning that they didn’t trust him to get the job done. Respecting Alex’s wishes, and not knowing where to start anyway, Michael hadn’t mentioned him to Max. 

Just like Alex said, Mirka remembered five kids that social case workers had brought to her group home that had had ties to New Mexico, but all of them had had known family members that the children had eventually been placed with. She also remembered all the children that had been brought to her place by the cops instead of social workers, and none of them were the right age. It was disheartening and Michael was quiet throughout most of the conversation. 

“I know it hurts.” Mirka said suddenly, turning to Michael. “You’ve been in the system too, you know what waits for him. But if he came here as a baby, chances are he’s been adopted.”

“If he hasn’t been adopted by now, chances are getting slimmer, and he’ll end up in the same living hell as I was.” Michael said. 

“Alex mentioned you’d seen some battles.” Mirka said, something heavy in her voice. “Maybe your brother will too. But don’t you give up on him. Even when it seems like you’ll never find him. I’m guessing you used to hope your family would come for you. Don’t you let him have that hope in vain.”

Michael’s emotions were already closer to the surface than they usually were and he hadn’t had a drop of alcohol or acetone in nearly two days to keep them in check. He had to fight to keep his voice under control. “I won’t.”

Mirka patted his hand, before turning to Alex, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I’ll keep my ears open, and if I hear anything, I’ll be in touch.”

“Please, that would be so kind of you.” Alex thanked her. 

On the way out Michael saw a kid in his early teens, same mess of curly hair that he had, and same look of anger directed at the other kids. He managed to keep his emotions in check until he sat in the car, but had to put his hand over his eyes as he began to cry.

Alex pulled away from the curb in silence, seemingly paying attention to the traffic and nothing else. It was close to ten minutes later that he quietly asked, “You okay to do another one?”

“Yeah.” Michael’s voice was raspy. He grabbed the water bottle from the cup holder in between them. “Okay if I have a sip?”

Alex chuckled, “You sucked me off last night, so unless you’ve got weird phobias about bottle sharing, you go right ahead.”

“Sharing bottles is completely different than sex.” Michael argued. 

“You brush your teeth this morning?”

“Yeah, but I had that burrito for lunch.” Michael downed a third of the bottle. 

“Oh yeah. Hmm. Maybe we should get you your own bottle.” 

Michael slugged Alex lightly in the shoulder, “You keep on like that, we’ll see if I’ll suck you tonight.”

“Oh, however will I live?” Alex parked in front of what looked like an abandoned building. “Come on.”

“This? There’s a group home here?” Michael’s stomach plummeted back down from the distraction Alex had offered him. This time, he snagged Alex’s hand on the walk over, finding just a little bit of hope in the touch. 

**

Returning to Alex’s apartment, both men were subdued by what they’d seen and what little progress they’d made. Michael had tried to keep distant from the things he saw and heard in those group and youth homes, focusing on the staff they were talking to instead of the children and teenagers that had roamed in the background, the play fighting that could very well have been real fighting, the quiet kids that looked at Michael with anger and hope. But now that the day was over, all he could remember were those abandoned children, the scared and lonely ones.

“Eat.” Alex said, dropping a pizza box on the dining table in front of Michael. 

“Do you have beer?” Michael asked before he could stop himself. 

Alex hesitated, “I have some non-alcoholic beer. I’m not really supposed to drink alcohol with my meds.”

“Oh.” Michael felt unreasonably disappointed at that. He always felt that he wasn’t the town drunk Roswell’s other residents made him out to be, but he had to admit he was feeling antsy at not having had a drink in the last days. “Do you happen to have acetone?”

“Acetone?” Alex frowned. 

“Yeah, like nail polish remover or anything like that.”

Alex rolled his eyes, “Yes, I have it. What do you want it for?”

“Uh…” Michael made a face, “It’s kind of like alcohol for us. Gives us a buzz, and can dampen things too. When your dad smashed my hand, I fucking inhaled it for a week straight.”

“You drink it?” Alex exclaimed. “That cannot be healthy.”

“Give me some, and you’ll see.” Michael winked. 

Alex pursed his lips, but still wandered to the bathroom. He returned with a small bottle of acetone, and put it in front of Michael. “This I gotta see.”

Michael laughed, opened the bottle and held it out in a salute before taking a sip. 

“Oh come on!” Alex exclaimed. “Eugh, I can’t watch.”

“I thought you wanted to see.” Michael kept on laughing. He didn’t know when he’d laughed so much last. Even when they were arguing or disagreeing, they were still able to laugh together. That had to mean something. 

“That’s just too weird. Fucking aliens.” Alex opened the pizza box and picked up a slice, “Come on, eat.”

After a couple of slices, and a few more sips of acetone, Michael was feeling better. He still wanted to be distracted from the day’s experience, so he said, “What are you dying to know then? You’ve been monitoring your dad, but what do you want to know about everyone else? Me, Max, Liz…”

“You said Rosa’s back, right? Yeah, I think we skipped that part this morning. Tell me about that.”

“Sure, but you’re just gonna have to believe me when I say things that seem impossible, yeah?”

Alex got up, brought out one of those non-alcoholic beers he’d mentioned, took a drag of it and then motioned for Michael to start talking. 

They spent most of the evening at the dining table, talking and catching each other up with their lives from the past ten years. Every so often they’d return to their mission, talk about what places to visit next, how long Michael was planning to be on the road for, what other contacts Alex could use to speed up the process. But they also talked about Sanders, Arturo, the Valenti family. It seemed even stranger to Alex than to Michael that Michael was on speaking terms with Kyle now. 

“It’s not like we send each other memes.” Michael said. 

“Still. In high school the two of you would’ve gladly beat each other up.”

Michael shrugged, “It was kind of hard to act like I still cared about that when he gave me a piece of the spaceship.”

Alex let out a bark of laughter, “You can’t say shit like that! Oh my god, how is this my life? Okay, sure, he gave you a piece of a spaceship.”

“It was hidden in his cabin. That’s another reason we think Jim weren’t as sold on aliens being an imminent threat to humanity as your dad is. Why would he hide what turned out to be one of the more active pieces I’ve ever gotten my hands on?”

“Active?”

“They react when people touch it, aliens especially so.” Michael explained. Maybe it was the acetone, but he decided to be a little bold, “I’ll show it to you someday.”

Alex smiled softly, “I’d like that.” 

Michael hid his face in his shoulder while he got his grin under control. 

“I wonder if that’s his dad’s cabin. We used to be there a lot when we were kids.” Alex mused out loud. 

“Oh!” Michael swiveled back, “That’s your cabin! No one could tell you ‘cos no one knew where the fuck you were, but Jim left the cabin to you.”

“What?” Alex looked confused again, a look he carried off quite effortlessly.

“When Jim died he left the cabin to you. Kyle said he and his mom have barely used it since, but once he found out about Project Shepard, he found clues and he went out there and found a secret bunker, that’s where he found the piece of alien tech.”

“A secret bunker underneath Jim Valenti’s cabin. Which is now mine.” Alex said, leaning back. “God, I wish this beer had alcohol in it.”

“Would it make you feel any better if I told you I have a secret bunker too? Underneath the Airstream.” Michael chanced a grin at Alex.

Alex shook his head in amusement, “You run away from a place and ten years later all hell breaks loose.”

Michael didn’t have a reply for that, but it didn’t seem like Alex was expecting one. Michael took the chance to study him closer. He had a yellow checkered shirt on, and blue jeans. He’d starting scratching his thigh in the past hour, like it was time to take off the prosthetic. His hair had been somewhat styled this morning but now it was just sticking up at the front. He wasn’t wearing any rings today, but a leather bracelet was around his wrist. He looked tired, and still so beautiful. Michael didn’t know if it was the beer, or the heat in the room, but Alex looked a little red around his cheeks, and that reminded him of last night. Alex had looked so pretty and delicious, naked against baby blue sheets, gasping for Michael’s touch. Michael shifted in his seat.

“Thanks for being there today.” Michael said quietly.

“No problem. Did you check in with Max?”

Michael pulled out his phone from his front pocket, “Suppose I should. I just hate that I can’t give them anything positive. I know they’re sitting there, wondering if I’m really doing everything I should, if they’re stupid to trust me with this.”

“Hey.” Alex leaned forward, reached his hand out over the table, and Michael was quick to grab on to it. “Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t give up. We met, like, 30 hours ago? You’ve got me convinced you’re gonna find this boy. You’re willing to do this for however long it takes, I can tell. You don’t need me to find him, you’ll knock on every damn door, because you know what it’s like to be him. I don’t know all that’s been going on in Roswell, but if they don’t trust you, they don’t know you.”

Michael drew in a ragged breath.

“I know you, Michael. I_ still_ know you, and it’s crazy that we still have this connection, but I will never, ever doubt you. Except for in bed of course.”

“Fuck you.” Michael grinned, wiping away any tears that might’ve spilled. He’d really cried enough for a whole year in one day. “I am fucking amazing in bed.”

“Maybe compared to everyone else in Roswell, but it’s a whole new ball game out here, baby.” Alex smirked, but the smirk died away into an uncomfortable grin.

“You okay?” Michael asked, full of concern. 

“Yeah, I just… Need to get the prosthetic off.”

“I could take a look at it. I’m pretty awesome with machines and thingamajigs.”

“Like you are with sex?” Alex joked. 

“You better have condoms.” Michael muttered. “I’ll show you what’s what.”

Alex laughed. “Presumptuous. But it’s not the mechanics, it’s my body. My thigh tenses in the evenings, and there’s scar tissue I gotta put cream on and some other things.” Alex shrugged, as he got up and started limping towards the bedroom. “It’s like the part of the leg I have left causes more problems than the part I lost.”

Assuming he’d been dismissed for the time being, Michael put away the traces of their dinner. He went back for his phone, but ended up looking out the window instead of calling anyone. They’d been in the car almost all day, except for the short visits in the facilities. Last night he’d been on the beach, seen the Pacific Ocean for the first time in his life and had felt something similar to peace and quiet. Today all he’d seen had been asphalt, cars and buildings everywhere. Even now, looking out of Alex’s window, all he could see were buildings and parked cars. He had to make an effort to catch a glimpse of the sky. He felt trapped suddenly, surrounded on all sides with nowhere to hide.

“Hey, Alex?” Michael made his way to the bedroom, saw Alex on the bed with a jar of something smelly next to him. “D’you mind if I go to the beach for a while?”

“No, ‘course not. Want me to tag along?”

“Nah,” Michael shook his head, “just, need a moment, you know.”

“Yeah. There are spare keys in the hallway closet, on the back of the door. Let me know if you’ll be late.” Alex went back to massaging his thigh.

Michael looked at the slow, demanding way Alex was working his own muscle for a moment before turning away. “I won’t be that long.”

It was different, walking to the beach alone. He could study the people he passed closer, stare at the shops and get irritated by the traffic and the noise. How could Alex stand all the noise? Roswell had never been Michael’s favorite place on earth, but it had pretty much been his only place on earth, but LA was an even less favorite place for him. 

The moment he stood with his bare feet in the sand, all those noises died away. He could hear the waves as they crashed down, but the honks, squeals of tires and random shouting all fell away. He wondered if this was what Isobel searched for when she went on yoga retreats. He thought about Alex. About his smile, his laughter, the way he would roll his eyes. How determined he could be, how furious he’d been that morning when he’d found Michael in the office. How they’d gone from arguing to making out, how they were flirting even as they were both freaking out about Alex now knowing about aliens. 

He thought about the kids he’d seen that day. Mirka’s obvious care, and the staff at the other places that barely seemed to care if they had kids there or not. He felt his left hand forming into a fist, felt it shake. The peace in his mind trembled and he knew without looking that the grains of sand around his feet were rattling around. 

He centered himself like Isobel had taught him. Sent out those mental waves she’d taught him, wondered if he’d feel something stop him. Nothing did. 

He’d probably been out there for fifteen minutes before he called Max. 

“Michael! Anything?”

Michael had to roll his eyes, for all that Max had said he was trying to be a better brother, he still had no time for small talk. “Nothing today. Crossed five places off the list. Got four places planned for tomorrow.”

“Shit.”

“Guess where I’m at.” Michael said. 

“What?”

“Guess where I’m at.” Michael sat down, realized Alex would not like the sand clinging to his jeans and decided he’d chance it. “Come on, Max, humor me.”

“LA.” Max deadpanned.

“Good guess. I’m on the beach, Max. The beach. I’m looking at the Pacific fucking Ocean.” Michael realized he was smiling as he said it.

Max was quiet for a moment, “Is it good?”

“It’s fucking great. You should see it.”

“I’ve seen the Atlantic.”

“Good for you.”

Max sighed, “It’s something else, isn’t it? All those miles of just… water everywhere. The sound of it. The possibilities.”

“Yeah. I knew you got it.” Michael said, quieter than he’d intended. He was just so pleased that his brother shared something with him. 

“You taking care of yourself?” Max asked. 

“Yeah. Got a place to stay, and I ain’t even had alcohol for two days.”

Max gasped, “And here I thought LA turned people into sinners.”

“I’m a changed man.” Michael quipped. 

“Get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Michael ended the call. He sighed and looked out over the water. He almost lied down before realizing that meant he’d get sand in his hair and Alex would definitely not approve of that. 

**

When he got back to the apartment nearly two hours later, Alex was on the couch in sweat shorts and a tank-top, the stump of his right leg sticking out. He looked cozy and ready to be fucked. 

“Shoes off.” Alex called out.

Michael remembered the routine and took off his boots, jeans and jacket. He strolled to the couch and flopped down beside Alex. Alex raised an eyebrow at him, clearly amused by his appearance. 

“I sat down in the sand.” Michael explained. “Besides, saves time for later. I know you want me out of my pants.”

Alex rolled his eyes, “Such a romantic.”

“What are we watching?” Michael asked, pressing a kiss to Alex’s shoulder.

“_The Fugitive_.”

“Awesome. Have they already been at the dam?” 

Watching Tommy Lee Jones being southern while hunting a clever Harrison Ford was surprisingly good for setting the mood, both of them randomly touching and kissing each other while still being somewhat engrossed in the movie. They didn’t make it to the end though, Michael more or less carrying Alex to the bedroom when the bulge in his underwear wouldn’t stop growing, and Alex’s kisses on his neck turned into sucking. 

During the day Alex might’ve acted like sex between them hadn’t been a sure thing, but he was quick to point Michael to the condoms and lube, and he was equally quick in getting his clothes off. Fingering Alex open was the hottest thing Michael had done in years, the way Alex twisted and trembled made him almost forget that he’d ever had sex with another person. Alex was definitely more vocal and responsive as a lover now than he’d been at seventeen, and Michael was determined to prove that he’d learned a thing or two throughout the years too. 

Sliding inside of Alex, Michael had to focus not to blow his load immediately. Alex was so tight around him, and his skin was warm, his touches leaving little fires all over Michael’s body. He had to kiss Alex, so he did, long and slow until Alex shifted underneath him. Michael pushed himself up on his arms, staring down at Alex while he started fucking him, the snaps of his hips hard and fast. Alex stared right back, pupils blown wide and his open mouth letting out gasps of pleasure. 

“You like that, baby?” Michael crooned. 

Alex stroked Michael’s ass with his hand, “Feel so good.” 

“Yeah.” Michael murmured, slowing down his movements.

“Oh fuck.” Alex tilted his head back, exposing his neck. He was wearing that silver necklace again, and it shone against Alex’s flushed skin. 

Michael leaned in, licked along Alex’s neck. Alex murmured dirty nonsense into his ear, pleas that Michael couldn’t deny. He hurried his pace, tilting his body to the side so that he could use his foot for leverage as he drove further and further inside Alex’s body. Alex changed his position, turning on his side with his shorter leg up in the air, letting Michael have a better angle. Michael helped Alex hold his leg up, their sweaty fingers clinging together. 

“Come on, Michael.” Alex panted, pushing back against him. He was stroking himself with his free hand, his erection curving up towards his belly from a thatch of dark hair. “Fuck me.”

They spent the next minutes heaving against each other, Michael’s dick angry and leaking as he found new angles to drive Alex crazy. When he came, it was hard and long, his orgasm stealing his breath. Alex moved away, letting Michael’s dick slip out of him with a loud pop. Michael felt Alex kissing his shoulders, his neck and finally his lips. Then he felt Alex’s dick bob against his chest as Alex somehow climbed into his lap. He kept kissing Alex, let the other man do what he wanted with him, which was to take his hand and guide Michael into fingering his loosened hole. Alex came with Michael’s fingers deep inside him and Michael’s mouth sucking on his collarbone.

“Don’t tell me that wasn’t the best fucking you’ve had in years.” Michael said later, when they were both catching their breaths.

Alex grinned, “It was a nice contender.”

“Nice? Nice!” Michael got his hands on Alex’s side, tickling him instantly, “I’ll show you nice!”

**

The next day they set off earlier, deciding to head to places further outside of LA to use Alex’s time wisely. He’d have to work during the week, but without really discussing it they seemed to have agreed that Michael was going to use Alex’s apartment as a base while searching for his theoretical brother. 

They went to Bakersfield and all the way up to Fresno to visit group homes but found the same amount of leads that Michael had found on his own, which was none. Turning back around they were pretty disheartened, and not even the change in weather was enough to brighten their moods. They visited two emergency group homes in Glendale on the way back and it was the same nothing waiting for them there. 

Alex drove, which annoyed Michael a little since he considered himself a great driver, but was probably for the best since Michael wanted to yell and honk at every other driver around them. 

“Tomorrow we could go to a social worker I’ve gotten to know quite well, he could know something.” Alex suggested. 

“Yeah, sure.” Michael said, staring out of the window, wondering if any of the kids he saw in the surrounding cars was the boy he was looking for. What if Valenti had noted the gender down wrong? What if it was a girl? He closed his eyes and focused on the silence inside the car, Alex’s steady presence beside him. Slowly, his mental wave started spreading, sweeping past the humans around him like they were pebbles on the bottom of the ocean. None of them resisted him or put up a fight as he let his mind wander. It freaked him out a little, knowing that he could sway a person into making a decision they didn’t want. It was no wonder Isobel was so peculiar about using her power. 

A small surge against him made him flinch, eyes opening wide, “Fuck.”

Alex let out a questioning sound, attention on the traffic light they were stopped at. 

Michael ignored him, trying to find whatever had pushed against his thoughts. Nothing happened until he channeled some of his own telekinesis into it, trying to introduce himself. Something surged again, kind of like a window wobbling in a storm. Michael focused his attention on it, only to be suddenly smacked out of his trance-like state.

“Guerin?” Alex asked. 

Blinking, Michael realized they were back at Alex’s apartment, and that he’d missed a good few minutes of time. “I think I found him.”

**

Isobel was clear but pointed on the phone. She talked Michael through how to find what direction the surge had come from and how to find it again like a beacon in his mind. 

Alex was in his office, updating their list to include any foster homes and shelters south of where they’d already been, since Michael had the feeling that’s where the surge had come from. Michael wished he could tell Isobel that he wasn’t alone and that it was easy for him to find the calm he needed because all he had to do was focus on Alex. Even as he had no clue what these last few days meant for him and Alex moving forwards, it was easy to find comfort in their undeniable bond. He’d been mad with Alex, still was in a way, for the decisions he had made at seventeen, but they did still know each other like Alex had said. Alex had to be mad at him too, but he still asked for Michael’s touch. There was something about the two of them that Michael knew he’d never experience with anyone else.

“Making them focus on you,” Isobel said, “battling against your power is only good in this instance. It’ll let you get a better idea of where they are, ‘cos you’ll see more of their immediate surroundings. Don’t scare them off, but keep them talking, you know?”

“Yeah, like the cops tracking a phone call, I got it.”

He knew Alex could tell he was distracted and unfocused that evening, because the other man tried to start conversations with him but they ended up watching _The Amazing Race_ episodes that Alex had TiVo’d. It sort of worked, the constant bickering and idiocy of the contestants eventually made Michael forget about his own stressful situation. He wasn’t going to win one million dollars but if he saved an alien boy from the foster care system, and from probable government experiments, that’d be worth so much more than money. 

Alex sucked him off that night, and Michael returned the favor. It felt good, getting to know Alex’s body intimately again, offering up his own in kind. But Alex not making fun of his sexual abilities only drove home the gravitas of the situation. 

“Will you come with me tomorrow?” Michael asked, knowing he was being a selfish dick. 

“Yeah. I’ll tell work I have a family emergency.” Alex said softly, swiping an errant lock from Michael’s forehead. “First time I use that one.”

Michael closed his eyes, “Thank you.”

He found it difficult to sleep that night, knowing he could be mere hours from finding the lost alien. They would probably never know each other’s real relation to each other, but Michael was set on treating the boy like his brother. The more he’d said it to social workers and shelter volunteers in the last week, the more it had stuck with him. Isobel and Max might be better role models, but Michael would give everything he could to save the boy from harm. 

**

“So, where to?” 

Michael shrugged, “Start south, and I’ll see if I pick something up.”

Alex accepted that as an answer and signaled to turn right out of the parking lot. He hadn’t put the radio on yet during their outings, and didn’t do so this time either. He did give Michael’s hand a little pat, which Michael decided was meant to be supportive, not condescending. They’d not had the best of mornings, Michael jonesing for acetone and Alex reminding him that Isobel had said he’d probably have better luck with his newly developed mental power without it. Michael had been irritable from the lack of sleep, and Alex walking around topless and shaggy-haired had only made him more frustrated. 

While he knew that Alex was being beyond helpful, offering more of his time and care than Michael could ask for, it was difficult to remember that when Alex kept telling him to calm down. Michael was not someone who reacted well at being told what to do. 

Michael drew in deep breath after deep breath, closing his eyes and thinking of the peace he’d felt on the beach. He thought of Isobel and Max, of the inimitable bond they shared. He thought about Alex letting him take a closer look at his prosthetic. The ocean in his mind appeared again, waves crashing over the myriad of pebbles and grains of sand that made out the bottom. He let his weird alien mind signals race over them too, trying to find the beacon he had felt yesterday. It was difficult because they’d set off at the end of rush hour and people seemed to be everywhere, in cars, buses, on the pavement and in the buildings that rose above them like towers, hindering Michael in his search.

“Don’t get frustrated. Just breathe.” 

Michael bit back a nasty retort, knowing Alex was only trying to help. If they’d been in his truck he would’ve reached for the acetone in the glove box. He pulled his signal back into himself, tried to infuse it with some of his telekinesis, the power he knew how to control. Again, he let the mind waves search for a response, for any type of pushback. 

“There!” Michael cried out, “Left, left!”

“Okay, okay!” Alex replied, signaling a lane change and looking for the earliest left turn he could make. “What happened, did you feel something?”

“It’s like, I don’t know how to describe it, it’s like a lighthouse, far, far away. I see something for a second, and then it’s gone.” Michael gestured with his hands, looking at the buildings around them to see if he could pick up on anything else. “I think he’s far away still, but near enough that I can sense him.”

“Okay. You keep on feeling for him, and I’ll go where you tell me.” Alex said. 

Michael shifted in his seat, giving Alex a proper look. “I’m sorry I was an ass earlier. I kinda… don’t know how to say what it means that you’re doing this with me.”

Alex glanced away from the traffic for a second, a shy smile playing on his lips. “You’re forgiven. It’s not like you don’t have reasons to be mad at me.”

Michael knew Alex was referring to his disappearance a decade ago, and while Michael could still feel anger at being left behind, he was also completely over it. “That doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Sure it does.” Alex said. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. You showing up here, talking about my dad, Liz, even fucking Kyle Valenti… Made me look harder at a lot of the insecurities I’ve had in my life since supposedly getting a fresh start. I don’t know, makes me wonder, you know?”

“’Bout what would’ve happened if you stayed?”

“Yeah.” 

Michael sighed. He’d wondered that a whole hell of a lot over the years. “You’re here now. That’s the important part.” He closed his eyes, found his inner center a lot faster than earlier. “I can sense him. Just keeping going forward.”

For over an hour they kept going more or less straight, heated words exchanged when Michael argued they were driving the wrong way when Alex pointed out that they couldn’t drive into the ocean and had to follow the roads. The further they went, the steadier the signal he’d picked up on became. At first it had been intermittent, something almost accidental. Now it was coming in a steady rhythm, even if it seemed quiet and far away. At one point it disappeared completely, making Michael freak out and force Alex to stop by the side of the road. Half an hour was lost to arguing about whether or not they should turn back or just wait until finally the push on Michael’s mind came back, much stronger than earlier. 

While before it was like Michael had been throwing out a net, hoping for any kind of response, now the wave he got in return was searching him out. He tried to stay calm, but his leg was bouncing up and down like crazy and he couldn’t keep his eyes closed. He didn’t have to neither, because he could focus on the signal without hardly trying. 

They ate bananas and power bars in the car, steadily coming closer to the Mexican border. 

“I hope he’s not on the other side. I don’t even have a passport.” Michael said worriedly, a headache finally creeping up on him.

“There’s a turnoff half a mile ahead, should I take it?”

“Yeah.” 

Michael called out random directions for a while until it was obvious they were headed towards a residential area, houses becoming more common along the road they travelled on. The low hum of the mental wave became something soothing, almost welcoming. Michael tried to be comforting back and whatever was responding to him seemed pleased. 

“This is Oceanside, I’ve never been in contact with anyone down here, but I’m sure they have some sort of child protective services. We could look it up and give them a call.” Alex said as they drove through what seemed to be the center of the community. 

“It’s further still. But I can feel him now, it’s like he’s saying hello.” Michael grinned. “He’s five and already got a grasp of his power.”

“Maybe you sending out the signals made it awaken inside of him.” Alex pointed out. 

“Yeah, maybe. Fuck, Alex, we’re so close. Can you drive slower? I don’t want to miss him.”

Some twenty minutes later they pulled up in front of a Spanish villa with a swing set and a tiny slide. No one was outside, and there were no neighbors around as far as Michael could see. He’d been using his powers to the point of exhaustion, but luckily the three times they’d driven around the block made him confident this was the right house. There was definitely something alien inside of that house.

“There’s no sign or anything, but this might be a foster family. Could be a group home. Unless the person opening is an alien or a government operative, let me do the talking.” Alex said, calling for Michael’s attention by tapping his arm.

“How the fuck are we supposed to know if it’s an undercover agent?” Michael said, making Alex roll his eyes. 

“Just follow my lead.”

Michael let Alex walk ahead of him. Even with his powers turned off he could sense something close by, something that called out to his alien side. If there was no missing boy here, they had definitely stumbled onto something equally big. 

Alex knocked on the door, and right before it opened he told Michael, “We’re not together.”

Michael felt the wind knocked out of him and then there was a middle-aged woman standing behind a screen door. 

“Yes? Can I help you?”

“Hi,” Alex plastered on his most charming smile, “my name’s Alex Moore, I work up in Santa Monica with a youth home. This is my friend Michael, he helps out sometimes. He recently got the clearance from the CPS to take over guardianship of his baby brother, and from talking to the case worker, we think his brother might be here.”

“Is that so?” The woman gave them two very appraising looks, “Well, I guess you’d better come on in then. I’m Helen Beeker.”

“Thank you so much, ma’am.” Alex smiled, holding the screen door open for Michael, “We probably should’ve called ahead, but it’s been a bit crazy since Michael found out they’d lost track of his brother’s placement.”

“I bet. Who did you talk to at the office?” 

Michael realized Ms. Beeker wasn’t entirely buying their story but decided to trust that Alex could sweet talk them into at least finding out what kids were there. He put out a short mind wave and was immediately slapped back, at the same time as a few bowls on the sofa table shake. He stared at them just like Alex and Ms. Beeker did. 

“The new guy helped us,” Alex recovered, “I can’t remember his name. But he said you had a kid here originally from New Mexico? About five years old?”

Ms. Beeker pursed her lips, “I’m not telling you anything about anyone until I see some ID and hear from the social worker.”

“Of course,” Alex said, reaching for his wallet, “like I said, it’s been a crazy few days, Michael’s been waiting for this since–”

“Miss Helen?”

All three adults looked down a small corridor where a young boy was standing in denim overalls and a yellow t-shirt. Michael drew up his telekinesis and lobbed it easily at the boy’s stomach. The boy giggled and sent a wave of air right back, making Michael’s hair flutter. 

“Ethan, you’re supposed to be in your room.” Ms. Beeker said sharply.

“Ethan,” Michael called out, taking steps towards the boy, “do you remember me?”

Ethan looked from Michael to Ms. Beeker to Alex.

“Hey, don’t go any closer to him.” Ms. Beeker warned. 

“Michael, maybe we should–” 

Michael waved at Alex to shut up, getting down on his knees. He held out his hand, and sent out another signal with his brain. Ethan giggled, sending back a flash of what his room looked like, cot and all. He ran to Michael and hugged him, “You came!”

“Yeah, I came.” Michael hugged him back, putting his arms around him protectively and trying so hard to not squeeze too tight. He could sense the bowls starting to shake, could hear glasses clinking in what had to be kitchen. He used his own power to dampen the tremors that Ethan was sending out, hoping Ms. Beeker wouldn’t get suspicious. 

Ethan’s childish laughter was so sweet, “You’re like me!”

“Yeah, I am. We’re brothers, we’re completely alike.” Michael said, pulling back to get a proper look at the boy’s face. He had brown eyes and hair, a mole on his left cheek and a mouth that would not stop smiling. 

“I need to see some papers, and I need to see them now.” Ms. Beeker insisted. 

“We don’t have them on us,” Alex said, “which is totally my fault because I left my briefcase at my office. But as you can see Michael and Ethan are brothers that haven’t seen each other in years.”

“What I see is a strange man holding one of my kids. So excuse me, Mr. Moore, but I’m gonna need more than a sob story or I’ll call the cops.”

“Of course, no, we completely understand, I apologize.” Alex came over to tug on Michael’s arm, “Michael, get up.”

“No.”

“Michael…” Alex lowered his voice, warning clear. “You need to let go of him.”

“No!” Michael said at the same time as there was a loud crash from the kitchen. Ethan started crying in Michael’s arms, and Michael could sense the despair swirling inside of Ethan’s mind. There was absolutely no doubt that Ethan was an alien just like Michael.

“You two need to leave _now_.” Ms. Beeker said, the order clear in her voice. 

“Okay!” Alex exclaimed, pulling on Michael again, “Look, I’m gonna take him outside, and then I’m gonna come back, okay? Michael, please, if you want Ethan to come home with you, you need to leave him alone for now, please.”

“Don’t leave.” Ethan pleaded, grabbing onto Michael’s shirt. 

Alex kneeled down, hunched over to the side due to his prosthetic, “Ethan, I’m sorry, Michael’s not leaving you, okay? We need to make sure you can stay with him forever and to do that, we need to talk to some people and get some papers, okay? Your brother is not leaving you.”

“You’re Alex.”

Michael and Alex both looked at Ethan in surprise. 

“Yeah, I am.” Alex smiled. “Nice to meet you. I know this is scary, but I promise we will be back.”

“You can’t just take him, you know that’s not how it works, Mr. Moore.” Ms. Beeker insisted.

“I know.” Alex looked up at her. “But I also know he belongs with his brother, so I’m going to make that happen. Just keep him here. He’s going to go home with Michael as soon as we have all the documents and signatures needed.”

It took another five minutes of coaxing from Alex before Michael finally let go of Ethan physically, though he had his mind open for him, the two of them clinging to each other through mentally. He got Michael into the car, shutting the door to keep him in place.

“I’m gonna see what we need and what office she’s connected to, and we’ll take it from there. I swear, I will get us past this red tape in a jiffy.” Alex said through the passenger door window, then walking back inside the house. 

Michael kept sending happy and comforting thoughts through the bond, lapping up the information Ethan was sending him about his life and his home. Ethan was unsure of how long he’d been staying with Ms. Beeker. He told Michael about the accidents he caused when he got sad or mad and how Ms. Beeker didn’t like that and locked him in his room. Biting back fury and rage, Michael asked Ethan about his toys instead and had to smile over how excited Ethan was over his little police car. 

**

“I don’t like that we’re moving away from him.” Michael said for the tenth time. 

“I know that, but like I said,” Alex was clearly annoyed, “I need my computers and my printer. And you need to call your people back home to tell them what’s going on. You said Liz had your bloodwork, right? I might need to talk to her.”

They were driving back up the interstate. Michael had first said he should stay near Ethan, but Alex had refused to leave without Michael. They’d argued until Alex said he needed stuff from his home office and he wasn’t going to risk Michael kidnapping Ethan and becoming the object of a federal manhunt. Michael was ashamed that Alex wasn’t completely off-base with that assumption and agreed to return to LA under protest.

“What can you do with your computers?”

Alex sighed, “Really, Guerin, we’re doing this now? I know you’re not stupid. You saw what was in the cabinet. You know shifts at cafés and computer stores doesn’t pay near enough for an education.”

It dawned on Michael what Alex was referring to. “ID’s. You made fake ID’s. Hacked into whatever database or computer people asked you to.”

“Correction, that they paid me to.” Alex said angrily. “I really don’t feel the need to explain myself to you.”

“You ran away to start a new life, and did so by becoming some hacker criminal?” Michael snarked right back. “Wow, some great fresh start you got there.”

“I helped people, believe it or not. Sure, some of it was probably for shady reasons or people that lied to me, but I never did any ID’s or hacking that I wasn’t comfortable with. Angry ex-boyfriends looking to embarrass their girlfriends got turned away every time.”

“Oh, a criminal with a heart of gold, how clichéd.” 

“Fuck you Guerin, you have no idea what I went through. You have no idea what living in that house was like, and how fucking happy I was to make my own damn money in my own damn life.” Alex argued. “I was practically on the streets for two years, but I kept going because I knew I was worth a life away from my dad, and I knew I was giving you a chance to live without him as a threat.”

“You didn’t!” Michael yelled, “He was still on my ass every single fucking chance he got, making fun of my hand, telling me what a good soldier he’d turned you into. He taunted me for years, Alex. So bravo. You accomplished absolutely nothing.”

Alex’s knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. He fumed in silence all the way to the apartment. Once there he got out of the car and didn’t bother to wait for Michael, just tossed the keys to him so that Michael could lock the vehicle. Michael took a few extra minutes just to breathe. He hadn’t meant to argue with Alex, hadn’t meant to bring that shit up again. Alex had been nothing but amazing these last few days, had given Michael a glimpse of happiness and reaffirmed his faith in humanity. Now he was repaying that by hypocritically calling Alex out for criminal activity when Michael stilled sold copper and engine parts on the down-low without telling Sanders. 

He was hit by a mental knock from Ethan. Ever since they’d met, Ethan and Michael could find each other within seconds through their psychic bond. Ethan seemed worried, so Michael pushed back at him to let him know everything was okay and set off towards the apartment. 

“Did you call Liz?” Alex asked without preamble as he Michael entered the office inside the apartment.

“Not yet.”

“Okay. Do so. I think our best bet is doctoring some bloodwork to prove you have similar DNA to the point of being family. I’ll get going on you being approved as a legal guardian, would you mind terribly if I changed your real papers so it seems like you’ve lived out here for five years?”

“I don’t even know what real papers I have that you can change.” Michael said honestly, not knowing what information different government branches had on him. His eyes wandered over the large computer screens, “You’ve hacked the DMV?”

Alex tilted his head, “You gonna sell me out to the police?”

“No. Just impressed, I guess.”

Alex rolled his eyes, “People hack the DMV every day. You should be scared of how easy it is.”

Michael hesitated, not sure if Alex wanted him in the room or not. “Uh, if I call Liz, what should I tell her…”

“About me?” Alex asked. He didn’t look away from the screens, “Tell her whatever you want. Tell her I need to know what she can make happen, and how quickly.”

Michael wanted to say something, to apologize, to once again thank Alex for all his help. But Alex was sending out definite ‘leave me alone’-vibes so Michael slinked away to the relative safety of the living room.

Liz picked up on the third ring, “Mikey!”

Michael cringed at the nickname, “Hi, Liz. So I found him.”

“What!?”

Michael grinned, feeling the pride wash over him. “Yeah, I fucking found him! Alex says he can help me get him from the foster home, but he thinks bloodwork is our best bet at proving kinship and wants to know what you have, and probably what you can fake.”

“Alex?”

“Yeah, uh, remember Alex Manes from high school? Master Sergeant Manes’ youngest?”

Liz gasped, “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”

**

Liz and Isobel ended up driving out that very afternoon. Liz had too much suspicious material like needles and tubes to clear a security check at the airport. Max and Kyle were not pleased at being left behind, but they all agreed that the four of them skipping town at once could raise flags if anyone was still watching them despite Master Sergeant Manes being in a coma. Liz was the one with the best medical knowledge when it came to the aliens, and with Isobel they could trade off driving through the night and be in Santa Monica by morning. Kyle and Max had their own civilian roles to play, and had a harder time getting emergency time off from their employers. That said, they were blowing up the group chat with reminders and supposedly helpful tips, as well as a hundred questions about Alex. 

Michael had been worried that Alex would be mad that he’d ended up revealing not only Alex’s part in finding Ethan, but also his address, but Alex had sort of shut down. He wasn’t arguing with Michael, but he also wasn’t flirting or smiling at him randomly. It made Michael anxious, which didn’t help since he was already worked up about having left Ethan at the home. 

“What’s this one?” Michael asked as he took a sheet of paper from Alex’s very fancy printer. 

“That is Ethan’s actual birth certificate.” Alex said. “Looks like old Valenti did his job properly back then. I found the right CPS database to hack after the fifth try, and these are the papers that he must’ve had forged before handing Ethan over to the authorities here. According to the first notes on his file, he was born early after a car crash, the pregnant mother died from her injuries and the hospital decided to induce labor.”

“Could just be making the real story seem less… alien-like. Could’ve been that they decided to make her have the kid early and she died from something during the procedure.” Michael mused. 

“Yeah, could be.” Alex agreed, “It says he was turned over to Californian authorities since the mother was a resident here at the time of the accident. It looks like the authorities did try to track down the mother’s family for a good while after that, but never found anyone. He’s been staying in smaller homes, foster families with just one or two foster kids. That’s usually the case with kids as young as him. Looks like the one we found him at was the first group home.”

“And the last.” Michael said, conviction clear in his voice. 

“I’m gonna fake you some papers, employment, living, that sort of thing. D’you mind posing for a picture against that wall?”

“Anything to have a picture of me on your phone, huh? Want me to take my top off for the second one?”

Alex rolled his eyes, “Just get over there and try not to look like you’re posing for a mugshot.”

“But that’s some of my best work!” Michael mock-cried.

In honesty, he was happy to be doing something. Mostly he’d been looking on while Alex hacked authorities and companies Michael was sure should have better cyber security. Alex had also been on the phone with numerous state officials, including Ethan’s current case worker. Michael had only spoken to him for few moments, on loudspeaker and with Alex rapidly scribbling appropriate responses in a lined notebook for Michael to say. He’d been nervous that he hadn’t been convincing in the role of worried older brother, but Alex said Ethan’s case would definitely be a priority in the coming days. 

“Is there anything else I can do?” Michael asked as Alex uploaded the photos he’d taken to his computer.

“Yeah, that stack of papers I’ve already printed out?” Alex nodded towards them, “Some of them are supposed to be five years old. Mind putting some coffee stains on them, maybe a few notes in pencil and rub it out?”

Understanding that Alex wanted them to look more legit, Michael grabbed the papers and set to work. He also brewed them a pot of coffee, just to make it a little more realistic. He poured them both a cup each, and filled a third cup to the brim and sloshed it around before putting it on that very first CPS report. 

“You didn’t have to fill it all the way up, coulda just tipped it to make it pour over the rim.” Alex pointed out. 

“Huh.” Michael wondered when he’d stopped being a genius. Maybe it was right around the time he found Ethan. Or when he found Alex. He’d definitely been going through too many emotions in the last days to keep a calm head, and not enough acetone. “Hey, you’re not using the laptop, right? Is it connected to your wifi? Can I take another look at the stuff you’ve found on Project Shepard while you work?”

“Sure thing.” 

Alex had to start up the laptop and log in before Michael could start clicking around on the different folders, quickly getting sucked in by the models and schematics that the Air Force scientists had come up with for over half a century. 

**

They had instant noodles for dinner, not stopping their work. There were long moments when Alex had nothing to do but wait for his algorithms to do their work, and Michael could feel Alex’s gaze on him then, but he was both too wrapped up in the research done by Project Shepard, and too scared that if he said something to Alex, he’d just fuck up more than he already had. Alex didn’t say anything either.

Michael barely noticed the passage of time, nor the dozens of texts his friends were sending him, until Isobel called to let him know they were roughly halfway there and expected to arrive around nine in the morning. 

“Alright, it’s nearly two, I’m gonna call it a night.” Alex said, running a hand over his face and stifling a yawn. 

Looking up from yet another report of mysterious weather phenomena near Caulfield prison, Michael said, “Okay, I’m gonna stay up a while longer.”

Alex sighed, “Guerin, listen to me. We have a plan. Liz is going to be a lab coat hired by the state for claims like these. Isobel is the liaison. They’ll go down to Oceanside tomorrow to get Ethan’s blood, Liz will use your samples and together she and I will make it look like you have the same parent.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with them coming here? I mean, to your home.”

Alex crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. “I think I’m not going to be okay with any of this for a long time. The boy I loved so much I was willing to sacrifice everything for him, is an alien. We’re forging papers left and right to get custody of his alien brother. I mean…” 

“I just… I don’t want you to feel like I’m forcing you to do this. You were helping out, and now four more people know where you are. I never meant for this to change your life.”

Alex snorted, “You changed my life ten years ago. The way you kissed me at the museum… God, it was everything to me. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.”

Michael smiled, “I was so nervous. And you had that stupid hat on.”

“That thing was fetch!” Alex laughed.

“Stop trying to make fetch happen.” Michael said without missing a beat. “But really, I know it’s gotta be weird having me here, and now Liz and Isobel are coming.”

“It is weird.” Alex agreed. “I thought I’d never see any of you again. But bottomline is there is a five-year-old kid that needs me to help you guys, so that’s what I’m going to do.” He yawned. “But right now, I’m going to bed.”

Michael tracked Alex’s way out of the room, could hear him enter the bathroom. He looked back at the laptop screen, glanced up at the darkened screens Alex had used for all day. He sat in the dark for a while, considering the day’s events, what would happen tomorrow. Alex and he had been on the phone together with Liz and Isobel while coming up with the plan, one that would hopefully have Ethan with Michael in less than a week. It was Alex that had been the mastermind of the plan, everyone else just adding details or playing off of Alex’s suggestions. 

Michael stood up, stretched to his full height and let out a massive yawn. He’d gone without sleep before, had been running on nothing but acetone and adrenaline when he and Kyle had gone to Caulfield, and his subsequent confrontation with Noah. But Alex hadn’t been a part of the equation then. 

He tapped on the bedroom doorway, getting Alex’s attention. He swallowed when he realized Alex was changing into his pajamas, bottoms only halfway up his thighs. “Uhm… Do you want me to sleep on the couch?”

Alex resumed pulling his pajamas on. “If that’s what you want.”

“Damn it, Alex.” Michael pounded his fist against the wall, shocked at the noise it made. He quickly realized he’d also thrown down a book from the dresser with his telekinesis. “Sorry. I’m tired, it’s been a… day. I usually have better control.”

“I hope so.” Alex muttered, climbing in under the covers. “Fuck. I don’t know what the fuck we’re doing, Michael, but yeah, I want you here with me. So can we just not talk about it?”

Michael didn’t reply, simply made his way over to the bed. He tossed his t-shirt to the corner, jeans and socks following suit. He laid back and groaned, “Damn, I have to get up to use the bathroom.”

Alex laughed, “You poor baby.”

With an exaggerated sigh and swing of his body, Michael got back up to relieve himself and brush his teeth. He dampened a towel and rubbed it over his armpits and around his neck. Alex probably wouldn’t want to fool around but Michael sweated more than the average human, it was only nice to get rid of some of it. 

The bedroom was dark when he got back, so he wasn’t expecting Alex to shuffle closer and kiss him. Michael grabbed him with eager hands, trying to apologize with touches for the behavior he’d shown all day. Michael would’ve been up for more than just making out, cock stirring to life as Alex tongued him, but Alex eventually pulled away. Michael yawned, drifting off into a shallow slumber.

**

Michael knew that Isobel deciding to ride with him in the truck had to be for more reasons than simply talking about Ethan and how they were gonna let things play out without scaring him or making him think they were leaving him behind. 

They spent the first hour of the drive talking about Ethan, what he looked like, but also what he had felt like in Michael’s mind and how Isobel should communicate with him telepathically without making him reveal to Ms. Beeker that Isobel was not the CPS staffer she claimed to be. It was already going to be tough convincing Mr. Acevedo, Ethan’s actual case worker, of why this process was being sped up. They’d decided to go with the angle that a person with clout in the state government was involved on the mother’s side and that’s why things were being expedited so quickly. 

“Alex seemed to be doing okay for himself, considering.” Isobel said.

Michael glanced over. Alex had chosen to go into work while the others went to visit Ethan. He’d been there to greet Liz and Isobel, getting a punch in the shoulder and a crushing hug from Liz. He’d shared the paperwork he’d forged and given them the ID badges they could use to identify themselves as completely fictional people. They’d gone over the plan again and Alex had seen them off, promising to answer questions about himself that evening. Liz was alone in her car behind them, no doubt playing Alanis Morissette as loud as she could. 

“Considering he lost a leg?” Michael asked. 

“Considering he made up an entirely new identity for himself and got himself a degree without any type of social safety net.” Isobel sounded impressed. “And considering he found out his lover is alien.”

It was only Michael’s innate ability to truly understand cars that kept him from swerving into traffic. “What?”

“Oh come on, Michael.” Isobel grinned knowingly. “That bed had clearly been slept in by two people, and your clothes, what few you have, was on that floor. Besides, neither of you are as subtle as you think you are. Kissing him in the kitchen as we’re walking out the door? Come on.” 

“He kissed me.” Michael muttered. He sighed, “Okay, let me have it. Tell me I’m making a mistake, that I shouldn’t be sleeping with the guy who helped us find Ethan.”

“If I was going to tell you you were making a mistake, I’d point out that he’s Manes’ son, no matter what his legal name is.” Isobel said. “I’d also say that hooking up with the guy you were in love with ten years ago probably isn’t that smart.”

That time, the car did come close to the neighboring lane for a second or two, “You knew about that, huh? What, you use your special powers to see who my high school crush was?”

“Michael!” Isobel snapped. “Of course not. I simply observed you around him. And him around you. Before he left, I thought there was something there. Considering how you spiraled after he left, it just drove the point home. Besides, the Master Sergeant seemed to hate you the most.”

Michael was quiet, thinking about all the times he’d felt alone, even before Alex ran away. How he’d never had anyone to turn to, how he’d convinced himself Max and Isobel didn’t care whether he was in love or not. 

“I’m still in love with him.” Michael confessed quietly. 

“Oh, Michael.” Isobel put her hand on top of his on the gear stick.

**

They stopped right outside of Oceanside, Isobel switching cars to ride with Liz. They’d already changed clothes at Alex’s, having bought something at Target that was apparently more appropriate for the roles they were playing than the jeans and shirts they’d worn for the drive from Roswell. 

Ethan had greeted Michael inside his head half an hour earlier, excited to sense him coming back, and doubly excited that he was bringing another presence too. Isobel had taken over the bulk of the psychic talking since Michael was driving, but Ethan kept sending out little pushes to Michael too. It made Michael smile, and push back, like they were playing a game. Isobel seemed less impressed, but it was clear she was giddy at having a new person to feel out.

They both tried to explain to Ethan how important it was that he not tell Ms. Beeker he knew who Isobel was, but they were still worried as they rang the doorbell. 

Ms. Beeker answered, a man in his early thirties next to her. 

“Ms. Evans? Hi, I’m Roger Acevedo. We spoke earlier.” The man held his hand out. 

“Ah, yes, Mr. Acevedo, of course. Ms. Beeker, nice to meet you. Ms. Ortecho here will do the physical check-up, and collect blood samples, and then I’ll have a conversation with Ethan.”

“What’s he doing here?” Ms. Beeker gestured towards Michael. 

“Mr. Guerin has asked to be present for the blood drawing. He has had… negative experiences in the past, and wants to make sure needles and tubes are handled correctly. It’s of no consequence to the case itself, we’ll get his blood at the same time, and with the four of us here to witness it, it can only make any future legal rulings easier to substantiate.”

Michael had to hand it to Isobel, she sounded confident, experienced and left no room for argument. Liz was equally impressive, quiet and with a bored look that betrayed nothing of her natural drive and leadership capabilities. 

“I have no problem with that.” Mr. Acevedo said, “I’m just glad that we may have a happy reunion on our hands. Far too few of those in this line of work.” He turned to Michael, “I really hope you are who you say you are, and that you’ll do right by him.”

“I will.” Michael said emphatically. “I promise.”

“Alright. Shall we start?” Isobel clapped her hands, prompting them all to move further inside. 

Liz set up her work station while Isobel and Ms. Beeker went into the kitchen. Mr. Acevedo nodded at Michael to come closer, and took him down the short hallway.

“Considering how much Ethan has talked about you all morning, I figured you could get a few minutes.”

“Really?” Michael couldn’t hide his eagerness. When Mr. Acevedo opened the door, Ethan was right on the other side. He bumrushed Michael.

“Michael! Roger, look, it’s my brother!” Ethan cried happily.

“Good for you, Ethan.” Mr. Acevedo grinned. 

“And he brought…” Ethan trailed off as Michael felt a sudden shove in his brain, making him almost trip over Ethan. Isobel was apparently paying attention from the kitchen. 

Mr. Acevedo didn’t notice the reaction and finished for Ethan, “He brought some ladies that are gonna talk to you and make sure you’re a healthy boy, and that’ll help with you going to live with Michael as soon as possible.”

“Yeah!” Ethan said. He tugged on Michael’s hand, “Michael, this is my room.”

The visit lasted only little over an hour. Liz took blood samples from both of them, Ethan more curious than scared of the needle. He even made Liz show him the tubes the blood was in and how her tiny fridge worked. His chat with Isobel was in his bedroom, with only Mr. Acevedo present. Michael waited with Liz and Ms. Beeker. He could tell that Liz had a hundred questions for him, but she only asked Ms. Beeker queries, like how long she’d been running the group home, and how many kids she’d had. Michael didn’t realize until the very end that Liz was trying to work out if Ms. Beeker had any connections to the Air Force or Valenti, or anything else that might be reason for worry. But he got the distinct feeling Ms. Beeker was only worried she was going to be reported for letting a child be kidnapped from her home, and that’s why she was so strict on following protocol. He supposed that was a good thing, even if it worked against him at this moment in time. 

Ethan cried when Michael bent down to say goodbye, and it broke Michael’s heart. From the way Isobel abruptly left the house, she was having a tough time too. Michael didn’t bother hiding his own tears, but still reassured Ethan he was coming back as soon as possible, and hopefully Ethan was going to come home with him next time. He thanked Ms. Beeker and Mr. Acevedo with a handshake. The fact that Mr. Acevedo clapped him on the back and told him to ‘stick in there’ meant a lot more than it should have. 

**

Alex was waiting for them when they got back, and he took Liz into his office the second they were inside the apartment. Liz used her mobile mini-lab to run the bloodwork, then she and Alex worked together to change the digital copies of the results to exclude hints of alien components. Liz was excited at seeing that Michael and Ethan shared more DNA than any of the other three aliens, but not enough for it to work in their favor with the authorities. Liz explained that siblings didn’t necessarily share the same DNA, but that it was definitely more common than complete strangers having similar strains. A quick pow-wow between the four of them concluded with the decision that Liz fake the results of the DNA too, though not making them one hundred per cent similar.Alex had prepared falsified certificates from the company Liz supposedly worked for, and the two of them were occupied for a long time.

Michael decided to take Isobel to the beach, and they sat on a towel near the water, quietly drawing comfort and strength from each other. Seeing Ethan had made both of them lose a little of their equilibrium, but also made them more determined. There were so many questions and issues to address, but nothing was more important than Ethan being with them. In the past year, with the life-changing events that had detonated one after another, Michael had slowly but surely started feeling like he mattered. For so long, his life had been a tedious, frustrating clusterfuck but these days it felt like his brain was finally something powerful instead of superfluous. The hunt for the fourth alien, the revelation of Project Shephard, it had all served to knock Michael of the self-destructive path he’d been on since Alex left. Now with Ethan, it was like he had a clear purpose in his life.

They brought Chinese food with them when they came back a couple of hours later, but Liz waved it away and dragged Alex with her out the door.

“Mr. Moore here has a lot of questions to answer.” Liz explained. Alex sent Michael a silent plea for help with those beautiful eyes of his, but Michael ignored it. Liz had been Alex’s best friend all throughout high school, she definitely deserved answers, and Alex deserved to know there were more people in Roswell than just Michael that still cared about him. 

**

Michael was surprised Isobel hadn’t made reservations at some nearby hotel but she wanted them all to stay together, in case something unexpected came up, or someone doubted the authenticity of the paperwork and the files that Alex had planted in various databases. It was on her insistence that they’d also Skyped with Max and Kyle earlier, making sure they were kept in the loop and part of any decision making. Perhaps it was her experience with Noah that made her insist that no one be kept in the dark about what was happening. 

The boys both offered to take the foldout couch instead of the girls sleeping on it, but one comment about stained sheets from Isobel made Liz agree with her that the boys should stay in the bedroom. After they’d all taken their turns in the bathroom, and Alex had explained how the AC worked, silence and darkness finally settled over the apartment.

“How was dinner with Liz?” Michael asked quietly, unsure how well their voices carried. Alex had been subdued for the better part of the evening, had been that morning too when Michael thought about it. 

Alex snorted, “Awful.”

“I’m sorry.” Michael watched as Alex unclasped his prosthetic. “I could, uh, massage your leg. If you want.”

Alex gave him a look that was half incredulous, half annoyed. But in the end he sighed, settling back against the headboard. “Sure. Why not? You’ve already taken over everything else in my life.”

Michael frowned, “What does that mean?”

“It means you…” Alex trailed off, scratching his hair, “I don’t even know what it means. It means I’m tired and you at least kiss me even when you’re mad at me. Liz, she just…”

Taking the jar of cream from Alex’s nightstand, Michael sat on Alex’s right side, pulling his stump into his lap. “She’s like a bloodhound. That’s how she found out about us. Once she figured out she should’ve died that night at The Crashdown, there was no stopping her. It’s only thanks to her that Kyle came over to our side once your dad started courting him.”

Alex was stiff under Michael’s touch, and it showed in his voice too, which was a lot less relaxed and soft than it had been in the previous days. “She made me feel a lot guiltier about taking off than you have. I don’t get that. How can you be more forgiving than her?”

Michael pressed down gently with his knuckles, stroking them up and down Alex’s thigh, “’Cos I’m trying to see things from your side. You keep saying you did it for me, ‘cos you loved me. It’s kinda hard to not find that pretty amazing, despite the stupidity of it all.”

Alex hissed as Michael found a sore spot, “Amazing but stupid, that’s me all over.”

“Yeah.” Michael grinned. He leaned in for a quick peck, but returned his focus to Alex’s leg. “I guess I have a lot to apologize for too. Like bringing Liz out here. I know this is gonna affect shit for you too.”

“I told you, it’s fine. This is about Ethan. My shit, I don’t know, maybe it’s time I dealt with it. My therapist is gonna be overjoyed.”

“You gonna tell your therapist about aliens?” Michael snorted, “Yeah, that’ll be a good session.”

“Ah,” Alex made a pained face as Michael got his thumbs to work the inside of his thigh, “fuck, you’re good with your hands.”

Michael gasped, “Was that praise? From renowned sex critic Alex Moore?”

Alex snickered, “You give good massages, I didn’t say anything about sex. But no, I won’t tell my therapist about aliens. I’ll tell her about meeting you again, you apparently forgiving me, even liking me.” Alex shook his head, “I can’t make sense of that at all.”

Michael let one hand rest on Alex’s thigh, while placing the other on Alex’s cheek. “I more than like you. And I think you more than like me too.”

“Yeah.” Alex exhaled.

Their gazes locked on each other, the bedroom felt warm again, unlike the coldness of last night. The muted lighting and their intimate but non-sexual touching made the space around them feel secluded, a little world just for the two of them. They kept their eyes on each other, the moment surrounding their confessions carrying on without them needing to talk about it. 

Alex’s thigh spasmed, dragging Michael’s attention back to it. “How long have you been in therapy, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Since losing my leg. I was lucky, my insurance covered psychological therapy as well as physical. I think she realized during the first session that there was more for me to deal with than just losing a leg. After the ten sessions my insurance gave me, I figured it was worth it to pay out of my own pocket, even if I hated some of stuff she made me talk about.”

“And you still see her?”

“Yeah. It’s one of my few luxuries. Every two weeks I see her, sometimes just to unload about situations I see at work.” Alex yawned. “Mostly to talk about trust issues.”

“Lie down, sweetheart, it’s okay if you fall asleep.” Michael murmured. 

Doing as Michael suggested, Alex sleepily said, “I’m not fooling around with the girls just outside.”

Michael rolled his eyes, “I am capable of keeping it in my pants.”

“Just making sure we understand each other.” Alex settled with his head on a pillow, “I think I will fall asleep.”

“You do that.” Michael murmured, starting work on another knot above Alex’s knee.

**

It took three more days, three days of Michael going absolutely crazy, before he and Alex were heading back down to Oceanside to pick up Ethan. Alex was driving again, because Michael was not in the right frame of mind for maneuvering a moving vehicle. He had been worried and excited for days, fearing that the reason things weren’t moving as fast as they’d hoped was because the validity of the paperwork and the results from the blood tests were being questioned, not because bureaucracy was a slow-moving animal.

Liz and Isobel had returned to Roswell, though Isobel had been less than happy about it. She’d argued that the likelihood of them being watched was next to none with Master Sergeant Manes in a coma, but Michael stood his ground. If the wrong people had noticed him and Isobel shacking up with a man who bore a striking resemblance to Manes’ youngest son, Ethan’s future could be over before it started. 

Despite her anger, Isobel had hugged them both before getting in the car. Liz had left strict instructions for Alex to keep in touch, and for Michael to make sure Alex actually followed through with it. Both women acknowledging Michael and Alex’s budding relationship made it feel more real for Michael. He had no clue what would happen once he had Ethan, but until then he wanted to make the most of his time with Alex. 

“Tell me again.” Michael said. 

“The CPS determined that based upon interviews and medical evidence, Ethan and you are related, brothers in fact. They will allow Ethan to stay with you for a trial basis of six months, with regular check-ups.” Alex said for the fifth time. 

It felt no less surreal hearing it than it had been the first time, after Alex had gotten off the phone and smiled so hard his face split in two. 

Mr. Acevedo was at the group home this time too, and he looked almost as happy as Michael about the decision. “What can I say, I’m a sucker for a happy ending.” 

Michael laughed, hugging Ethan again. Ethan had been waiting on the porch for them, a small suitcase already packed and a stuffed tiger in his hand. He’d rushed over to Michael, and Michael had met him halfway. 

“Thank you so much for looking out for my brother.” Michael said to Mr. Acevedo.

“No problem.” Mr. Acevedo said. “I’ll see you again in a week. I’ll be staying on Ethan’s case even though you’re in a different county.”

“County?” Michael frowned. 

Alex had been mostly quiet, just observing, but he jumped in at that. “Yeah, uh, Mr. Acevedo… You should probably know you’ll be seeing me again too. Michael and I… we live together.”

“I know. I looked up his address and found you registered at the same place. I’m guessing you’re in a relationship?” 

Michael had no idea what was going on. Much like any other time when he was clueless, he decided to keep quiet. 

“We are.” Alex said, “It’s not new. We’re very committed. I promise we will put Ethan’s needs first, including sleeping arrangements.”

“Relax,” Mr. Acevedo said. “I called up your employer, she couldn’t stop raving about you. I guess you’ve been using any contacts you have to speed this case up, and I can’t blame you. It’s obvious you care about our abandoned kids as much as I do. I just hope you’ll care about this kid a little bit more.”

“I do.” 

Mr. Acevedo held his hand out for Alex to shake, “Take care of the older one too. See you next Thursday.”

Michael and Ethan rode in the backseat, communicating both with words and thoughts. Alex let them have their moment, until Michael wanted to see if Ethan had telekinetic powers too, and Ethan ended up throwing his stuffed tiger at the window shield. That made Alex snap at them to not use their mind powers while they were in the car, and had both aliens wearing chastised expressions on their faces.

Alex sighed, “The two of you are going to be hell in the apartment.”

“Are you like me and Michael?” Ethan asked. “You feel different.”

“Alex doesn’t have our powers.” Michael explained. “They’re secret powers, remember? No one can know.”

“But Miss Isobel had them too.”

“Yeah, she’s my sister.”

Ethan gasped, “That means she’s my sister too!”

Michael grinned, “Yeah, I guess so. I have a brother too, Max. He’s a cop.”

Ethan’s eyes widened, “A police?”

“Sheriff’s deputy, but yeah.” Michael said. “He has powers too. Him and Isobel and I, we’re gonna teach you all we know about our powers, cool, huh?”

“Yeah, cool.”

“Have you always been able to feel people?” Alex asked from the driver’s seat. 

Ethan thought about it, head tilted to the side. “Yeah. I think. I don’t know. I know when people are sad, and happy. When I’m sad, things break sometimes. But when Michael started talking to me in my head, it was the first time someone felt me.” He curled in closer to Michael’s side. “I was so happy!”

“I’m happy too, buddy.” Michael said, and he was. They weren’t completely in the clear yet, but Michael had custody of Ethan and was going to do everything to let him grow up to fulfill his full potential. He cleared his throat, “Alex, about what Mr. Acevedo said, and you, about us living together.”

“Ah, yeah.” Alex met his eyes in the rear mirror for a brief moment, “I put my address as your address in your papers, figured you didn’t care. Only, seeing as you only have Ethan on a trial-basis you can’t take him out of state. Which means you’ll have to live with me. For the time being.”

“Alex. Come on. No.” Michael shook his head. He was taking Ethan back to Roswell, where they could protect him better and Isobel’s house was waiting for him and Ethan to move into. 

“Yes.” Alex said empathically. “I went to great lengths to make it seem like the state of California has approved your guardianship, it would be incredibly suspicious if you moved him to New Mexico straight away.”

Michael sighed, looking down at Ethan’s mop of dark hair. “Okay. A checkup. We can do that. It’ll be good for Ethan and I to get to know each other before I take him home.”

“Uhm…” Alex scratched at his neck, and Michael could deduce that Alex was grateful that they couldn’t stare and scream at each other and make this a real argument as they were on the highway with a small child in the car. “Make that six months. Your trial period is six months, remember?”

“Six months?” Michael groaned. “We can’t… Where is he even going to sleep? We can’t stay at yours for six months, that’s not fair to you.”

“You really don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already thought about it, we’ll stop at IKEA in Carson and pick up a kids’ bed, a dresser, some kids cutlery, maybe a chair and desk, and see if there’s anything else we wanna get today, or save ‘til later. We could always go to a Goodwill, and he’ll need clothes but we’ll save that for the weekend.”

Michael sat in stunned silence as Alex laid out his plans. It made him scared, confused and ever so fond. Michael had been so concerned with getting Ethan, that he’d hardly thought about what would happen when he had him. 

Alex kept on talking, “Should probably get you something more suited for the weather out here too. For sure some surf shorts for your inner beach bum.”

Ethan giggled, “You said ‘bum’.”

“I sure did.” Alex laughed. 

“I… I don’t have that kind of cash, Alex. I can’t afford…” Michael said, feeling utterly humiliated. 

“IKEA lets you pay in installments. We can make that work with my paycheck. We’ll only get the stuff we need and go bargain hunting for the rest. I know a ton of flea markets.” Alex said. 

Michael bit his lip, but made an executive decision, “I’ll call Isobel and Max. I’m sure they’ll help me if it’s for Ethan.”

Alex awkwardly held his arm backwards between the driver and passenger seat, clapping his hand like he wanted Michael to take it. Michael gratefully took Alex’s hand, and felt some confidence coming back to him. 

**

Ethan was curious about everything in Alex’s apartment, from the railings to the dishwasher to the books in the bookshelf. He asked what every item was and whether Alex liked it or not. He also finally asked why Alex had a funny leg, making Michael snap at him, but Alex defused the situation by rolling his pant leg up and explaining what had happened and letting Ethan feel the prosthetic. 

“He’s a kid, he’s curious.” Alex waved Michael’s apology away. “It’s better that he sees it, and gets used to it, and know why I sometimes can’t keep up or play with him the way he wants. Besides, you were hardly more discreet about it.”

“Yeah, but still. We’ve literally just moved everything in your office around to make room for his bed. I just… You’re doing too much.”

They’d gotten a kids’ bed, bedlinen, a night lamp, and a dresser because Alex had won that argument. Michael had put his foot down when it came to cutlery, towels and hangers, but somehow Alex had managed to sneak by one of those steps that kids used in the bathroom to reach the sink and faucet. Michael was not looking forward to the tour of secondhand shops and flea markets that Alex had promised they’d go on that weekend.

When Michael had asked aloud in the furniture store where they were gonna fit it all, Alex had simply shrugged and said he could move things around. It wasn’t until they were back in the apartment and Alex asked for help to move his desk and computer to the back wall of the office, and put the filing cabinet in the bedroom, that Michael realized just how much Alex was willing to sacrifice. 

“This is just for now.” Alex said, coming up from behind and putting his arms around Michael’s waist. “We’ll move more furniture around as we go. There’s a lot of dead space ‘round the dining table, that could be an office area, or we’ll put the dressers and cabinet there. If we move our bed to a corner, we’ll get more space there too.”

Michael put his hand over Alex’s on his stomach, leaning against him. He looked at where Ethan was showing his stuffed tiger the cool new space themed sheets they were going to sleep on. “I don’t want you to give up your home for us.”

“That’s not at all what I’m doing.” Alex squeezed a little tighter. “I’m looking at it like I’m making it a home. For a long time, it’s just been a place I live in.”

“Fuck, Alex. You can’t say shit like that.”

“Sure I can.” Alex pressed a kiss to Michael’s neck. 

“Are you boyfriends?” Ethan asked, done with his bed for the moment.

“Uhm…” Michael hesitated.

“Yes, we are.” Alex said.

“Okay. Before I was with Miss Helen, I was with Miss Aleesha and Miss Becky, they were girlfriends. But when they had their baby, I had to move to Miss Helen. And that’s when you found me!”

Michael tapped on Alex’s hand to let him go. He made his way over to Ethan’s bed, relieved when it only creaked, and didn’t break under his weight. “I know you had your own room at Miss Helen’s, but are you sure you’ll be okay in here?”

Ethan nodded, “I think I always had my own room. I can’t remember when I was little. But I wasn’t allowed to disturb Miss Helen at night.”

“Well, you can call for us or come to our room if you ever need something, okay? If you wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream, or it’s daytime and you need help with something.” Michael said. 

“Because we’re brothers!” Ethan grinned. 

“Yeah, buddy, because we’re brothers.” 

“If you two _brothers _would excuse me, I think it’s about time I got dinner started. We’ve had a long day and I think we deserve something nice.” Alex said. He was leaning against the doorframe, a fond look upon his face and Michael just about fell in love. How someone could be so generous, so understanding and kind after all the shit the world had thrown at them, Michael would never comprehend. But he’d spend every day Alex let him making sure he knew how grateful Michael was. 

“Sounds good.” Michael agreed. “Need some help?”

“Actually, I thought you two could make a trip to the _supermercado._ I’ve got all I need for dinner, but there’s not much for breakfast, and I don’t know what food Ethan likes. So why don’t you two go buy something Ethan wants for tomorrow and we’ll make a proper grocery run in a day or two.”

Ethan was overwhelmed by the grocery store and all it had on offer. It seemed like he’d never seen a lot of the brands or products before. Michael had to deal with his very first tantrum, caused by Ethan’s anxiety over having to make decisions and his tiredness after a very long day with only cookies and hot dogs to eat. A woman with two small girls gave him a commiserating look. Michael wasn’t sure he handled it very well, but they walked out of there with a few things Ethan had picked out and some things that Michael had suggested they try to see if Ethan liked it. 

It was only an hour after dinner when Ethan crashed, whining and crying before conking out. Michael tried to remember what he’d read about kids adjusting to new living arrangements, and their insecurities no matter how happy they seemed about it. It was hard to set boundaries when Ethan screamed and used his telekinesis to throw a toy car on the floor. Michael hoped Alex hadn’t seen that, because they might have a real problem on their hands if Ethan decided to use his powers when he didn’t get his way. 

Alex offered to stay in Ethan’s room for the first half hour or so, to make sure he didn’t wake up confused, hinting at Michael to call his siblings. 

Michael had five missed calls from Isobel, two from Max and one from Liz. Kyle had just sent a text, ‘_heard you and the kid are staying with alex, good luck. let me know if you need anything’_. He sent Kyle a thumbs-up because he deserved some kind of acknowledgment, and called Isobel. She asked about Ethan’s health, his state of mind and which personality traits Michael had already found. She laughed at the ill-fated grocery run, and told Michael to buy what Ethan needed, not what he wanted.

“Yeah, about that…” Michael sighed.

“Alex already called, couple of hours ago. Said you might not be completely honest about the situation with us. I’ve already transferred money to him, and I’ll set some aside for weekly costs. I’ll talk to Max too.”

“He called you?”

“Don’t be mad at him. He called because he’s worried about you. I don’t know how the hell you managed it, but that man cares about you so much.” Isobel sounded almost teasing. “He also realizes that this is about Ethan, and that Max and I are his siblings too, and right now we’re the ones in position to care for him financially. Alex and I agreed that Max and I will be covering any increased costs he might have from Ethan living there, but that you have to pay your own way.”

“I don’t…” Michael sighed. “I was gonna ask you for a loan.”

“Exactly. That’s why Alex gave me the heads-up, because he knew you were gonna bend over backwards making it seem like you have it all under control. I wish you’d trust us more.”

“I do trust you.” 

“You sure as hell don’t have confidence in us to help you when you need it. Look, Max and I paying for Ethan is a no-brainer. You’re the one with him, you’re the one who’s gonna have to look out for him and teach him about his powers, about who we trust and don’t trust. That’s more important than who’s paying for it.”

They talked for a bit longer, until Alex came out of Ethan’s room and settled next to Michael on the couch. Michael made his excuses to Isobel and ended the call. 

“She tell you?” Alex asked quietly. 

“Yeah. I’m supposed to not be mad at you.”

“How’s that working out?”

Michael snorted, “Surprisingly well. I know it makes sense that she and Max pay for Ethan’s things. I’ll get over it. Whatever he needs.”

“Exactly. I know you think I’m already making too many compromises here, but the apartment is only so big, so we can’t get him too many things anyway.” 

“I’m gonna help out. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a job doing something, even if it’s just a gas station or a warehouse.”

“Okay. Don’t stress it though. Ethan’s gonna need you here, and I work most days. We’ll figure it out in time.”

Michael grabbed Alex’s hand to play with his fingers, “I thought I’d go back to Roswell in a week or two, pick up some clothes and stuff, some of my research. It’ll be difficult to work on the spaceship from here, but you’ve got all that Project Shepard stuff that I really want a proper look at.”

“See? You’ll be too busy for a job.” Alex held his free hand up apologetically when Michael leveled him with a look, “Okay, okay, you’ll find some way to contribute to the household, jeez.”

“I know why you told Acevedo we’re a couple, but why did you tell Ethan we’re boyfriends?” Michael asked, a thought that had been niggling at him all evening.

Alex bit his lip, looking to the side before taking a breath. He met Michael’s look. “One, because we can’t confuse him about things like that, especially not when Acevedo thinks we are and it could complicate things if Ethan tells him we’re not. But two, and more importantly, because five-year-olds don’t understand ‘it’s complicated’. Telling him we’re not sure what we’re doing but that we care for each other, that’s not something he’ll let lie ‘cos he’s not us and he doesn’t want to avoid the question. And uhm… three, because I think that maybe we sort of are.”

Michael leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Alex’s lips, their dry mouths dragging against each other, Alex’s fingers sliding in between Michael’s. Michael pulled back, let his eyes look at Alex in wonder. “It’s been so easy for us to talk and yell about the past. We’ve been so quick to say that we used to love each other. Well, I still love you. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped loving you, and I don’t think I ever will.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed adorably, his eyes suddenly glittering in the unforgiving light of the overhead lamp. “I love you too. We’ll figure it out, this thing between me and you, and things with Ethan.”

Michael smiled, “You know, I used to think that my small portion of happiness was behind me. That I’d never get to feel like I did at seventeen.” He kissed Alex’s cheek. “I can’t hate how we got here, because it got us _here_.”

“Baby, you have no idea how happy I’m gonna make you feel.” Alex leered.

With a laugh, Michael tackled Alex down on the couch, peppering kisses across Alex’s face and neck, the two of them shushing each other in a half-assed attempt at not waking Ethan up. Michael supposed that was his life now, stealing kisses and touches when Ethan wasn’t around, letting Alex tease him when he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Michael would probably get blue balls from being around Alex so much, no doubt seeing him topless or even nude without having time to fully enjoy it because Ethan would be screaming about food or not being allowed to watch TV. 

Michael realized with a start that he’d lied to Alex. His happiest hadn’t been at seventeen. His happiest was right now, with Alex beside him and Ethan sleeping soundly in their home. 


End file.
